Gravity
by Vir M
Summary: ."Of course I like you. I HAVE to like you. You're the only thing keeping me alive," she said, "and I don't mean that metaphorically." The team is sent to track down a psychic who supresses their powers to the point of self injury. Headaches ensue. JinxOC
1. Chapter 1: Mission Statement

Gravity

_A Yu-Yu-Hakusho Fan-Fiction By VirM._

Chapter 1:

**"Mission Statement"**

* * *

"I suppose you're wondering why I have called the two of you here today."

Yusuke Urameshi, the Underworld's number one Spirit Detective and leader of the Reikai Tantei, yawned loudly and stretched. Next to him, Kazuma Kuwabara drummed his fingers on one of his folded arms and scowled, muttering.

They were looking at the television in Kuwabara's living room. On it was plastered a blown-up image of their boss: the baby-faced Koenma. The toddler-king's face was grim.

"No duh," Yusuke sighed melodramatically. "I was looking forward to messing around today…" Kuwabara nodded in agreement. The child on the screen carried on without pause.

"This video contains information vital to your next mission, so pay attention. Hiei and Kuama will be assisting you in the days to come and were summoned to the spirit world to be debriefed several days ago, so there is no need to be concerned about them at this time."

"Not the shrimp!" Kuwabara moaned loudly, cradling his head in his hands. Yusuke grinned at his rival-turned-friend's aversion to the diminutive demon Hiei, then turned back to the TV.

"Four days ago…" Koenma said slowly. "—the presence of a rogue psychic was made known to me via another psychic who has close ties with the spirit world."

Kuwabara's head jerked up; eyes fixated on the screen. Yusuke's eyes narrowed.

"She hasn't come into her powers yet, but without the proper training she could very well kill those around her if she loses control. Her powers are, suffice to say, unusual in the way they manifest." Koenma breathed a sigh, the pacifier in his mouth bobbing up and down as he spoke. "She's very powerful, but has no control. If she is not contained prior to the awakening of her abilities…" he trailed off. He then shook himself and began rummaging hurriedly in one of his pockets. Eventually his hands reappeared, clutching a photograph tightly in one fist.

"This is Miranda Crowe," Koenma said, holding up the picture. The camera zoomed in and focused on the girl's face. "Your job is to locate, apprehend, and escort her back to the Spirit World."

Yusuke let out a low whistle as he assessed the girl in the photo. "She looks kinda…"

"—evil," Kuwabara gulped as he completed the phrase.

Indeed, the girl was wearing a grin that could only be described as 'devious.'

The shot—more of a portrait, really—had been taken at a three-quarter angle in mellow lighting, but despite the flattering setting it was still evident that the girl's features were almost creepily angular. The severe cut of her shoulder-length, crazily dyed and layered hair did not do much to soften her features, either.

The camera pulled back and away from the glittering hazel eyes and pink-and-black hair to focus on Koenma again.

"Remember this face, as you'll be searching for it until you find her. Evidence suggests that she lives somewhere within the confines of you city, so it shouldn't be too hard to find her."

"What?!" Yusuke yelped, throwing his hands into the air. "This city's HUGE—"

"If I predict this correctly, Yusuke should be blowing a fuse at this point." Koenma's tone was dry, and Kuwabara began to laugh loudly. Yusuke gaped at the screen, then glared at Kuwabara. "This is easily remedied, however; Kuwabara's fine-tuned psychic sensitivity should be able to pick her up eventually." Kuwabara stopped laughing and turned to Yusuke, a smug look on his face. Yusuke responded by slugging Kuwabara across the nose. Before a full-fledged fight could break out, however, Koenma held up a hand as if expecting them to launch themselves at one another.

"Before I abandon the two of you to each other, I'd like to take a moment to express the gravity of this situation."

Yusuke, who currently had Kuwabara locked in a tight stranglehold, turned an eye back towards the monitor. The red faced Kuwabara stopped struggling and stared at the screen as well.

"Not only could this girl hurt—even kill—those around her, she could very well be the means to her own end." Koenma had broken out into a sweat. "The raw psychic energy she possesses has been building up inside of her since her birth, and has had hardly any means of being released aside from the sporadic psychic manifestation. If she does not find a controlled way to release her stored spirit energy soon, it will start to eat away at both her body and her mind."

"In short, it is of utmost importance that you find her… before she unwittingly kills herself."

* * *

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* * *

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AUTHOR TIME

This is posted at the same time as chapter two, so please give that one a read. Thank you.

**First Yu Yu Hakusho fan-fiction EVER! This beginning was badly written and boring, but I felt that it was a good way to begin. Koenma's little video-debriefings are always informative, and I am horrible at beginnings. **

**So this fic MIGHT (and I say might because I haven't decided yet) contain a pairing between the OC (Miranda) and a member or the canon cast. Maybe Hiei… or Jin, because Jin needs love and never seems to get any. Give me your thoughts on this matter, if you wish. Woot! What would you READERS like to see?**

**Thanks to the lovely Laochra for giving me plot pointers! SHE TOTALLY ROCKS!!!!**

**Anyway… please review for me. I'd like to know what your thoughts are on this. Like it? Hate it? Wanna see more? Please let me know!**

**YU YU HAKUSHO (c) YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI**

"**GRAVITY" (c) VIR M**.


	2. Chapter 2: Buzzer

Gravity

_A Fan-Fiction by Vir M._

Chapter 2:

**"Buzzer"**

* * *

"Jackie… it's happening again."

My best friend looked up at me sharply, her blue-and-brown hair swinging forward to cover one gray eye. Her mouth was drawn into a thin line, lip-stick poised in front of her face. The hand that was braced on the sink in front of her tightened into a hard fist, obscuring the turquoise nail polish she had lacquered on the night before.

We were at school, in the second-story women's restroom. Jackie's parents didn't allow her to wear make-up, but that didn't stop her. Every morning we met in the bathroom and got ready for school together; this day was no different from the others.

"You mean you're getting the creepy feeling?" she asked. I nodded and leaned on the closed stall door behind her, staring off into space. I could feel her eyes as they trained on me in the mirror. "How long has it been going on?"

"Since last night," I grunted, closing my eyes. My feet scuffed loudly on the tile flooring, echoing slightly in the empty lavatory. "I thought it would go away after a while, but…" I shrugged. I heard a popping noise—presumably Jackie snapping the cap back onto her unused lipstick—and opened my eyes again.

Jackie was staring at me, obviously concerned.

"Is it the watching feeling or the creepy one?" she intoned. I smirked, feeling grim.

"The watching one."

Jackie swore. "Damn." I shrugged again.

"No biggie." I laughed a little, but her frown only seemed to deepen. I sobered, seeing her look. "I just thought I'd give you a heads up—after what happened last time, I can't be too careful."

"Damn straight." Jackie turned back to the mirror, uncapped her blood-red lipstick, then applied it to her lower lip. She stopped suddenly, leaving her upper lip bare. I had to suppress a giggle; she looked funny.

"I'll walk you home today." Her smoky eyes smoldered. Again, I shrugged.

"I'll be fine."

"But Mir—"

"Jackie—" I said it more sharply than usual to let her know I was serious. "—I'll be fine; seriously. I took that self-defense course, remember?"

Though Jackie's face remained morose, she decided not to press the matter further. She finished applying her lipstick and started on her eye makeup. I stood silent, watching as she completed her morning routine.

"I'm not going to class today," I informed her as she put away her makeup. "I'm gonna play hooky."

"Again?" Jackie said wearily. I nodded at her, then grinned. I did not really feel the smile, however.

"Mm-hmm." My forced smile faded. "It's really hard to concentrate with this thing nagging at me." Jackie nodded sagely.

"I understand," she said. "I'll vouch for you."

"Thanks."

"Where will you be?" she asked. I jerked by head over to the handicapped stall at the far end of the bathroom.

"The roof." In this bathroom, the handicapped stall had a window just large enough for me to squeeze through. Outside of the window was an oak tree with thick branches and few leaves; great for climbing. It reached straight up to the roof and overhung it enough to provide a splotch of shade just big enough for me to nap in.

I liked that place the most. It was close to the sky and a perfect spot for reflection, meditation, and—other things.

Unluckily, however, Jackie could not follow me up there: her hips were too wide to fit through the window. Actually, most people couldn't fit, but I was a small person so it didn't matter. Most people wouldn't be able to climb the tree, either, but I was, and am, one hell of a climber. Heights just feel natural to me, for whatever reason.

"Want me to bring you lunch?" Jackie asked. I grinned and nodded.

Suddenly the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Jackie hefted her backpack to her shoulder, then waved two fingers at me: her way of bidding me fare-the-well.

"See you at noon."

"You know where to find me."

I watched as she left, then turned and picked up my own black messenger bag. I headed over to the last stall and locked it behind me; if I didn't do this, people would shut the open window, cutting off my only way back into the school. Sure, Jackie would let me back in at the end of the day, but if I had to use the bathroom at some point I would rather it be in a toilet, not the rain gutter. Talk about undignified.

I popped open the window and pushed my bag out, shoving it snuggly into a fork of the tree. I soon followed, heaving myself up via the top window ledge so I exited feet first. I'd done it so many times that way my arms had developed a nice layer of muscle. Playing hooky, it seems, has its perks (mainly ones in the aerobics' department; my grades' benefits are another story).

After I levered myself out and got settled on a bough, I located my bag and slung it across my shoulders, then positioned the thing comfortably on my right hip. With that out of the way, my hands were free to climb.

I clambered up the tree like a monkey and hopped down onto the black roof. The shingles had been nicely roughened, whether by design or the force of the weather I couldn't say, and provided me with good purchase. I sat down in my patch of shade, bag beside me, and looked out on the world below.

My spot overlooked the school courtyard, where most of the student's ate lunch and had P.E. The same tree I had climbed earlier, however, obscured me, so it was nearly impossible to be spotted.

The sky above was pale blue, spotted with puffs of innocent looking cloud. I leaned back against the slate of the roof, pillowed my head on my book-bag, and closed my eyes.

My thoughts drifted as I lay there, but the feeling of being watched still grated on my nerves. I tried to tune it out, but to no avail.

_It's just like the last time,_ I thought sullenly.

One year ago, I had had a feeling similar to this settle down on me for almost two months. No one listened to my claims that I was being followed until one day after school when a man wearing a ski mask had cornered me after school. He'd tried to force me into his car, but luckily a patrolling police officer had spotted him roughly grabbing me and put a stop to it. When the police had investigated the man's home, they had found surveillance equipment and photos of me plastered all over his house. I had been stalked and nearly kidnapped by a psycho. It was only luck that events had turned out the way they did, but ever since then I had minded these little 'gut' feelings of mine.

I'd had them ever since I was a child, though never at the level the 'watching feeling' had manifested at. They normally surfaced in smaller ways: I could usually tell when people were lying, and I could always tell when someone approached me—even from my blind spots. I could instinctively predict they way people would move, too, making me fairly adept at team sports. My height (A.K.A. short) however, kept me off of most official teams.

I opened my eyes and stared up at the leaves above me. They looked slightly grayish as they rustled in the wind, their green masked by the shadow created by the tree…

Apparently I dozed off, because I awoke to Jackie's shouts of "I have pizza, you monkey. Get down here!"

I left my bag where it was, scampered down the tree, and took the pizza through the window. I ate while sitting in the tree; Jackie leaned on the windowsill so we could talk. She had locked the stall behind her so no one would walk in.

After we ate, I climbed back up to my perch. Again, I slept.

This sleep, however, was unlike the first. During this bout of unconsciousness, I dreamed.

I couldn't remember exactly what when I came to, but I could vaguely recall people flying. Objects, too. And the strangest part of all was the large purple eye, watching my every move.

_Creepy…_ I thought, shivering. I glanced down at my watch; it was almost time for school to let out.

Sure enough, moments later I heard Jackie's voice floating up from below me. I eagerly climbed down and met her, and then together we exited the school.

The route to both my house and Jackie's followed the same path for awhile before turning in different directions. Before I could bid her goodbye at the diverging point, Jackie stopped me.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you the rest of the way?" she asked. Her voice and eyes were both steely with concern. I grinned at her.

"I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

She still didn't look convinced, so I mock punched her in the jaw gently. She laughed despite herself.

"I can take care of myself. After all, what were all of those self-defense lessons for if not to protect myself?" After the whole stalker incident, I had enrolled in a combination kick-boxing/martial art/defense class for teens. "I can kick ass and you know it, Jack."

Jackie smiled. "You'll be sure to keep your cell phone on just in case though, right?"

I nodded affirmation. She looked relieved, if only slightly. We then said our goodbyes, and I was forced several more times to promise to be careful. Once I had satisfied Jackie, I went on my way.

_I really hope this just fades away,_ I thought as I strode off quickly. I kept my eyes fixated on the pavement. _Maybe I should check to see if that one creep got out of prison or something…_

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I did not notice the boy until I crashed straight into him.

"Oof!" The breath whooshed out of me as I landed hard on my butt.

"Are you all right?" a smooth voice said, concerned. I looked up, squinting.

At first I thought he was a girl, but then I realized that he was simply rather effeminate. Once I figured out that this gender confused individual was indeed a 'he,' I realized that he was actually one of the most beautiful boys I had ever seen.

He had long, shiny red hair, green eyes one could simply drown in, and skin so pale and smooth he would make a model jealous. The only thing that was really wrong with him was that he was wearing a pink school uniform. He might have been beautiful, but I wasn't attracted to him at all; he was just way too girly.

"I was until _you _decided to drop out of the sky," I said crossly, glaring up at him. His congenial smile faltered, but he covered by offering me his hand. I ignored it and clambered to my feet without his help, then looked down at my clothing and brushed myself off. Despite my attitude, my heart was pounding.

_I didn't sense him coming,_ I thought with a touch of panic. _I can still feel the watching feeling, but—I guess I was just too preoccupied with THAT to notice HIM._

I raised my eyes to look at him again. He was staring at me, which weirded me out, but I realized after a moment that the feeling was originating from elsewhere: this girly-boy was not the watcher.

"What?" I asked, grimacing. He smiled politely, but did not say anything.

I huffed and pushed past him, walking quickly.

I stopped dead in my tracks, however, as I heard him call after me:

"What is your hurry, Miss Miranda?"

I wheeled around, heart thudding sporadically as adrenaline and fear coursed through me. All at once my psychic alarms starting buzzing like a swarm of bees, going off like sirens in my head. My eyes fixated on the spot where he had been standing, but found—

Nothing.

The effeminate red-head—who had somehow known my name—had vanished.

* * *

**AUTHOR TIME**

**Long chapter to make up for the previous short one. **

**Well, how did you like it? I tried to give a lot of background info on Miranda gently during this chapter. Sorry it was kind of boring, but the fact that she played hooky sets up the next chapter, so… yeah. And did any of you get the significance of the purple eye dream? I'm curious to know…**

**Anyway, please review. I really need feedback.**

**YU YU HAKUSHO (c) YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI**

"**GRAVITY" (c) VIR M.**


	3. Chapter 3: Chase

Gravity

_A Fan-Fiction by VirM._

Chapter 3:

**"Chase"**

* * *

I had the dream again that night. The watching purple eye, the flying-- everything was the same, including the fact that I couldn't remember all of the dream's events.

I could remember one thing, though. In that rendition of the dream, the lone violet eye was joined by a set of deep red ones. They formed a triangle: the purple at the zenith, and the two red flanking it at the base. I woke up shivering violently, thoroughly creeped out.

I also had a pounding headache, which I later took two painkiller for. They did little to calm the pounding in my temples, however.

I shivered as I slipped out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. The dream has left me uneasy, and the feeling of eyes trained on me had not faded in the night.

The feeling did leave, however, once I entered my bathroom.

Strange, I thought. I brushed it off, showered, dressed, and exited the bathroom.

The sensation of being monitored returned full-force as soon as I stepped back out into my bedroom. I sighed wearily.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Hey, Miranda."

I jumped, then turned around. Jackie was making her way towards me.

Once again, I was in the second-story women's restroom. School was due to start in about a quarter hour.

"Hi," I answered. I turned back to the mirror I had been looking in and finished applying my eyes make-up, which consisted of neon pink eye shadow and heavy black liner. The eyeliner had glitter in it, and the colours went well with my dyed hair. I only liked pink when it was in my hair.

Jackie joined me, using the mirror next to mine. As she began to apply her own eyeliner, she said:

"Coach Cronan was looking for you."

I grimaced at the sound of my pre-cal teacher's name.

"What did he want?"

"You missed a test yesterday."

I swore vehemently. Jackie rolled her eyes, then continued:

"He told me to tell you to come by his office after school to make it up."

Jackie glanced at me again; her gray eyes looked amused. I stuck my tongue out at her as she turned back to her business.

"I'll wait for you after school," she said. I shook my head.

"I'll be okay." Jackie looked at me for a long moment out of the corner of her eye.

"You sure?"

"Of course," I said impatiently. She laughed. I then took the opportunity to fill her in on yesterday's strange events: namely the vanishing red head who had somehow known my name.

"You sure you didn't know him?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Never seen 'im before in my life."

"And you felt like he was not the one watching you?" Jackie looked at me suspiciously. I again shook my head, then looked up at the ceiling.

"The person watching me is… different." My eyes narrowed, then closed. "He's… like me. He knows things, like I do. I can… feel it, somehow."

The sound of a compact being snapped shut reverberated throughout the small bathroom.

"'He?'" Jackie quoted.

"He fells masculine," I intoned. "When I got into the shower this morning, the watching stopped for a while. Kind of like a guy respecting a girl's privacy or something like that." I glanced at Jackie in the bathroom mirror. "Weird, huh?"

Jackie's brow quirked as her lips puckered. She then began to apply lipgloss. "Well, at least your stalker's got manners."

Yes, today was indeed destined to be a long day.

* * *

The school day passed quickly, as sooner than I had hoped I was forced to part with Jackie. We said our goodbyes—and promises of caution—hurriedly so I could get to Coach Cronan's office in time for my make-up test.

The Coach was a burly man with thick arms and even thicker black hair. He was smart as well as strong, and taught Pre-cal along side coaching the basketball team. He and I were on good terms, because I was good at math. Math was pretty much my only strong subject.

He handed me the test as soon as I walked in the door, giving me instructions to finish and then bring my answer key down to the teacher workroom, which was located upstairs—about two minutes' walk from his classroom. He, apparently, had a basketball video to watch and analyze for tomorrow's practice.

The test was harder than I expected. It took me almost two hours to finish, though much of the time was not devoted to taking the test. About an half of the time was devoted to staring out the windows at the sunny afternoon outside and contemplating the watching feeling.

It had not faded over the course of the day. If anything, it had increased in intensity, constantly nudging at the edges of my consciousness like a toothache. It was most annoying.

At any rate, time elapsed and I was able to finish my test. Once I finished, I stood and exited the room, leaving behind my book bag. I then made my way to the teacher workroom.

The hallways were completely deserted. A blazing sunset outside tinted the wood-paneled hall startling colours, but the effect was creepy as opposed to beautiful. My footsteps seemed almost too loud in the quiet passages; I was reminded of horror movies centered in deserted schools.

Eventually, I made it to the teacher's lounge. Strangely, the door was standing wide open.

"Coach Cronan?" I called, poking my head inside. The room was dark; deserted. I stepped inside, heart rate kicking up a notch. I fumbled for a light switch, found one, and flicked it on.

The light bulbs revealed that the room was devoid of people; the only things present were the refrigerator, Xerox machines, couches, tables, and coffee pots.

I took a quick glance around the room, seeing nothing of interest. Then I spotted the note lying on the round table in the far corner of the room.

I crossed the space quickly, test clutched tightly in my hands, and picked up the note. It read:

_Miranda—_

_Sorry, but the Missus called and it turns out I had to pick up the kids from daycare today. Just leave the test on the table and I'll get it in the morning. The door will lock behind you, so please shut it when you leave, okay? See you in class. _

_Cronan._

I 'oh-ed' at that; relived that my teacher hadn't been abducted or something. What with today's state of society, you never knew.

I lay the test on the desk quietly, then turned and walked back to the doorway. I turned off the lights, stepped outside, then closed the door behind me. I heard it lock with a satisfying 'click.' I made to turn around then, but stopped dead when I heard it—

--the sound of a slow footfall echoing down the deserted corridor.

My heart pounded in my chest, beating with new life. I was scared, for you see—

I hadn't sensed them coming.

I could always sense them. Always. The only timeI had never been able to sense someone had been when—

My eyes snapped wide, remembering the strange events of yesterday: the feeling of being watched, the red head who knew my name, the one who had eluded my sense and had vanished into thin air.

My heart seemed to have jumped into my throat, making it hard to breathe. Slowly, very slowly, I turned my bowed head so I could look at the figure walking slowly down the darkening stretch of corridor.

I let out a breath when I saw that it was not the red head.

Two boys I had never met before were walking towards me, hands in their pockets. Both sets of eyes were fixated on me, and all at once I felt a jolt of fear.

The first boy was wearing what looked to be a green school uniform. He had slicked-back black hair and brown eyes, as well as a scowl plastered across his face.

The other boy was wearing a similar outfit, but his was blue. He had orange hair and beady black eyes, and wasn't very good-looking. Both of them appeared to be my age, or thereabouts.

I straightened, heart still beating wildly. I did not like the look they were giving me: almost an appraising one. They stopped walking about five feet from me and just stood there.

At that point, my psychic senses starting ringing like bells at Christmas time. These boys meant trouble.

"Can I help you?" I asked coolly. They just looked at me. The boy in green eventually spoke up.

"Are you Miranda?"

He had a cocky tone that grated on my nerves. I scowled.

"Who's asking?"

This seemed to catch him off guard. The other boy spoke up in his place.

"Please, Miss, are you Miranda?" His tone was borderline civil-pleading, and I rolled my eyes. _Idiot trying to be a gentleman_, I thought.

"Yeah; what's it to you?"

The boy in green grinned raunchily.

"Told ya, Kuwabara."

'Kuwabara's' face contorted into a hurt/angry expression.

"Hey—_I'm_ the one who found her, Yusuke!"

"No—" 'Yusuke' said. "—HIEI sensed her first, you nimrod."

I ground my teeth—these two were annoying.

"If you'll excuse me," I began. "I have to run. Later." I promptly wheeled around and began to go back the way I had come. I had taken not two steps when somebody grabbed my arm.

On reflex, I wrenched away and spun around to face them again. The one named 'Kuwabara' had grabbed me.

"Not so fast, chikkee," Yusuke said from behind him, voice low. "You're coming with us."

I thought about that for a moment.

"No."

Yusuke growled slightly. "It's the easy way or the hard way. Do yourself a favour and pick the less painful one."

"Ooh so now you're threatening me—" I taunted. "With bodily harm no less. Didn't you mother ever teach you to not pick on girls?"

Kuwabara backed up a step, looking uncertain. He looked at Yusuke.

"_My _mommy did," he said, eyes wide.

Yusuke blinked at him and then bopped him on the head.

"You're not supposed to agree with her!" he yelled. I watched, impassive.

"Are you done yet?" I asked. They both looked at me.

"Right, back to business." Yusuke's manner had gotten cocky again. "I'll ask you one more time—come with us or—"

"Not bloody likely!" I interjected.

I promptly kicked into self-defense mode. Rushing forward, I bent low from the waist and rammed my shoulder into Kuwabara's gut, executing a football tackle that effectively knocked the wind out of him. He was sent staggering backwards, but I did not stop there: I kept on pushing so that he was thrown into the stock-still-with-shock Yusuke.

They went down in a heap. I leapt up and planted my foot dead center on Yusuke's face, using the leverage to vault clear over the two of them. The cartilage ground satisfactorily underneath my heel, and then I was off, sprinting top speed down the hall.

_Shit!_ I thought as I ran, the halls and windows blurring past me. I heard a moan of pain far behind, followed by a shout ("Get her!") and the sound of running feet. I quickened my pace to the extreme. _They really ARE after me!_

I ran until I hit a junction of hallway. There were three ways I could take: one led back the way I came (and the Wonder Twins chasing me), the other to another wing of the building, and the third to a descending staircase.

I opted for the stairs. Without breaking stride, I rounded the railing—

--and stopped dead when I saw the mysterious red head from yesterday lounging at the bottom of the flight.

His gaze was triumphant. "Hello, Miranda," he said pleasantly. "Would you please come with me? My friends and I promise not to hurt yo--"

I did not wait for him to complete the thought. I instead took off running down the last hallway.

As I ran, I heard a shout of surprise from behind me. I recognized it as Yusuke's voice.

"Kurama! Where did you come fro—"

"Not now, Yusuke! She's getting away!"

So girly-boy is Kurama, I thought. Peachy.

I vaguely heard the slap of feet on wood gaining on me, and suddenly a surge of adrenaline spurred me to greater speed. They were very fast, however, and soon I was becoming desperate.

I had been ducking down random hallways with no true aim other than to lose my pursuers—suffice to say, it had not worked. They were on my tail and gaining fast.

I ducked around a corner, breathing hard. I looked around, and then realized just where my feet and subconsciously taken me.

I was standing just outside the women's restroom—the one Jackie and I met in every morning.

I didn't hesitate; simply ducked into the bathroom. As the door swung shut behind me, I heard three sets of feet skid to a stop.

I pressed my back against the inside of the door. They couldn't get me in the GIRL'S bathroom—

_Wait…_ I thought as my idiocy dawned on me. _Would a mere symbol on a door on the doorway stop a rapist? I just TRAPPED MYSELF IN A FRICKIN' DEAD END!_

It was then that I realized that I was pretty much screwed.

* * *

**AUTHOR TIME**

**So… we see the gang! Yay! But where is Hiei? Stay tuned!**

**This chapter was pretty long. Woot! Please review!**

**YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI**

**GRAVITY © VIR M.**


	4. Chapter 4: Rooftops

Gravity

_A Fan-Fiction by Vir M._

Chapter 4:

**"Rooftops"**

* * *

As I stood there, back pressed firmly against the doorway, I cursed my luck. Why had I thought that hiding in here would help matters? 

Suddenly I became aware of voices on the other side of the wooden door.

"Uh, guys—" I heard Kuwabara say.

"What?" Yusuke snapped, sounding pissed.

"She went in the bathroom." This was Kuwabara again.

"Yeah, I know that," Yusuke said impatiently.

"Well…"

"What?!"

"Who's going to go in there and get her?"

Silence.

"You do it, Kuwabara. Be a man."

"ME? Why not YOU, Urameshi?"

"B-Because I'm the leader, that's why!"

"Guys--" This was Kurama, attempting to make the peace.

"Kurama! Why don't you go! If anyone sees you in there they'll think you're a girl-- so no big deal, right?"

A smacking sound was heard, presumably Kurama hitting Yusuke.

"How about rock-paper-scissors?" Kuwabara suggested over Yusuke's moans of pain. "The loser will be the one to go get her."

"No. You ALWAYS win that game."

They squabbled like this for some time, and then agreed on using the game. As they began to throw their shapes, and then accuse each other of cheating and weaseling their way out of their 'winnings,' I began to assess my options.

My weapons: there was probably a plunger around here somewhere, but I doubted that brandishing a germ-encrusted household implement would hold them off… for long, anyway.

My hiding places: few, and those would soon be looked into.

My exits: none, except for—

My eyes widened as I sprinted over to the last stall, relieved to hear that my pursuers were still wrapped up in their lot-casting. I locked the stall door behind me and turned slowly to the window.

_It's worth a shot,_ I thought. _None of them can fit, and I can hide out up there until they leave, and then—_

I shook my head, clearing all apprehension. I had no other choice.

I promptly threw open the window, levered myself out, and began to climb the tree.

* * *

Not a moment after I alighted nimbly on the rooftop, I heard an ear-splitting crash. 

"All right!" I heard Yusuke bellow from below. "We're all in here together—strength in numbers!"

I stood stock still as I heard the three boys slam stall doors, vainly searching for me, then laughed as I heard Kuwabara say "What the—the window! She's flown the coop!"

"What?!" Yusuke yelled. I heard him stomp over to Kuwabara. "She—"

I got down on all fours and leaned my head over the side of the building, staring down at the window. Yusuke's head poked out; his face was beet red.

"Why I outta—" he growled. "That little pink-haired PEST!"

"You mean me?" I asked politely. Yusuke's head slammed into the window frame as he tried to twist and look at me. I laughed aloud, sitting cross-legged.

"Hi." I grinned down at him. He glared.

"You come down here right now."

"Hmm…" I exaggeratedly stroked my chin, feigning consideration. Then I stuck my tongue out at him: "Nope!"

Yusuke swore, then launched forward in an attempt to get outside. His shoulders proved too wide, however, and he was forced to back indoors.

"Is that her out there?" I heard Kuwabara ask.

"No, Kuwabara, it's Santa Clause—WHO DO YOU _THINK_ IS OUT THERE!?"

I giggled at that. Yusuke stuck his head back out the window and glowered up at me—but then his expression changed.

He was all at once relieved, and was no longer looking at me, but rather over me shoulder.

"About time, Hiei," he grumbled. Then he grinned. "You're in for it now, girly."

I opened my mouth to reply, then felt a sudden chill go down my spine. A shadow had fallen over me, though the rooftop was –supposedly—deserted.

I slowly turned my head, and finally caught sight of this 'Hiei' person.

He was standing over me, expression nonplussed. He had spiky black hair that had a white ridge at the front—very weird. The tips of his hair seemed to fade into a deep blueish colour. I wondered absently where he got his dye job done—whoever had given it was amazing; it looked almost natural. His clothing consisted of a shapeless black cloak and black boots, and his eyes—

My breath caught in my throat.

His eyes were crimson; deep and unfathomable.

They were the red eyes in my dream.

All at once my psychic buzzers went off, and the feeling of being watched rose to its peak—I was sure that this boy, who looked to be my age, was the one who had been watching me all this time.

I stood slowly, keeping him in the corner of my eye.

"Hello," I said uncertainly. His expression remained neutral.

"Miranda Crowne."

His voice was harsh and rather raspy. It was chilling.

I said nothing, choosing to stare at him in silence. My heart pounded in my throat.

"I am afraid you are going to have to come with me," he said. I turned and held up my hands in front of me, as if to ward him off.

"Nuh-uh."

"Don't be difficult," he snapped, eyes blazing. I noticed that his right arm was coated in bandages.

"I'm being kidnapped," I snarled back. "Do you really think I'd be _okay _with it?"

Hiei then took a menacing step towards me. I took a wary step backwards—

--straight into thin air.

My arms spun like windmills for a long moment as my heels tottered on the edge of the building. Then I lost my balance and fell. Hiei made no move to help me.

A strangled cry escaped my throat, but was quickly stifled as fear numbed me. Tree branches whipped past me, scratching my legs and arms. My fingers scrambled for a branch—anything—to grab on to, but I was able to latch onto nothing. Quickly—too quickly—I cleared the web of branches and was free-falling to the ground.

I looked above me and saw Yusuke's shocked face staring out the window. His eyes were wide.

The world slowed down.

_I'm gonna die,_ I thought mutedly. _Jackie's gonna be pissed…_

I closed my eyes, and felt the sensation of once again being watched. I ground my teeth in annoyance.

My psychic sense tingled, as if warding off the feeling. That was when I noticed that the buzz of my sixth sense was—warped.

It felt like a… like a trickle of raw power had entered into my consciousness. It was gratifying, but almost hurt; my nerves were all at once singing with both pain and energy.

_What is this? _I thought. _What the hell is--?_ I was scared—I'd never felt anything like this before. My chest felt tight, and all at once I was aware of everything: the way the clothes scraped against my skin, the feel of the air as it washed over me as I fell. I was even more aware of the feeling of power coursing through my veins, igniting my blood into a roaring inferno.

Then the trickle of energy turned into a roar, blocking out all thought. I think I screamed at that point—I can't be sure.

The feeling of pure, unadulterated psychic power suffused me, and my eyes snapped open wide as the feeling of ENERGY reached a high point. Breathless, I gasped.

I was no longer falling.

Instead, I was lying parallel to the ground—only about six inches off of its surface.

I was floating.

I sat up, still suspended. It felt like solid ground beneath me, but there was nothing but air. My eyes turned skyward, and I saw Yusuke's dropped jaw and shocked expression still hanging out of the open window two stories above me.

Without warning the invisible cushion that had been supporting me disappeared, and I landed jarringly on my butt.

"What the hell--?" I heard Yusuke shout. There was the sound of running feet and a slamming door: the trio leaving the bathroom to come down here and get me.

"Shit!" I gasped, scrambling to my feet. I pushed the thought of the floating—not to mention the weird energy burst—out of my mind and spun around, preparing to flee—

--but turned to find Hiei standing not three feet from me.

My alarms were blazing now, even more than they had been on the rooftop. This boy was definitely where the watching feeling had originated from; I was sure of it.

"You can't run anymore," he said quietly. I glared at him, then flinched away as he lifted his right hand. I was expecting a grab or a blow, but instead watched as he merely took hold of the white cloth he had wrapped around his forehead. I hadn't noticed it before.

Hiei tore the cloth away, and for a moment I was not sure what I was looking at.

There was a thin horizontal line on his forehead, black as pitch.

Looking at it, my alarms began to buzz furiously, willing me to run. A chill went down my spine as I stared at the black slit, a feeling of premonitory dread stealing over me, freezing me where I stood.

Then the slit spread wide, and opened.

I was looking at an eye.

My stomach heaved at this atrocity, but I held back the bile.

_Three—_I thought. _Three _eyes

The eye was purple—and I automatically connected the significance of it to my dream. Hiei's eyes—all three of them—formed the triangle I had envisioned.

I stared at it, horrified, as the violet of that abominable eye invaded my psyche. Then that all-encompassing hue gave way to purest darkness.

* * *

**AUTHOR TIME**

**Kinda dumb… but oh well. I enjoyed this but do not like the way I wrote it.**

**As many of you may have noticed, my style has changed drastically with this fic. I am less descriptive and leave more to the reader's imagination. Sorry, but that was kind of the plan. I'm experimenting with the boundaries of my ability.**

**Anyway, please review! I beg of you! Love to all of my reviewers!**

_HOKU ALA:_ Thanks for the comment! You ROCK!!!

_E.DRENNAN:_ Wow... you are TOO kind! Really! Thanks so much!

_OH DESOLATION:_ Well I'm glad I made you happy. Stay that way!

_ANONYMOUS:_ Woot! Good wellrounded review! Go Manni!

_EMEY_: Aw (hugs back)! Thanks!

_LAOCHRA:_ Thanks for the drunken comment! Those are the best kind! Good luck with your hangover!

_CS:_ Sis, I love you. See you later!

_BLACKCAT1199:_ Here you go! Enjoy!

**YU YU HAKUSHO (C) not me**

**GRACITY (C) VIR M.**


	5. Chapter 5: Clarity

Gravity

_A Fan-Fiction by Vir M._

Chapter 5:

**"Clarity"**

* * *

I woke up to the sound of both familiar and unfamiliar voices.

"So _this_ is Miranda!" a bubbly female voice proclaimed. The speaker was standing or sitting somewhere off to my right. "Would you just _look _at that _hair_! Are those streaks _pink_!"

"They are. Now stop gushing, Botan," said another voice. This one was high pitched as well, but masculine, like a newly broken tenor's voice that had a slight nasal quality. It was located next to the first.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Botan exclaimed sheepishly.

I listened to this exchange with my eyes closed, not wanting these new figures to know that I had awoken. I could still maintain the element of surprise, if nothing else.

Even with my eyes closed, I was still able to garner a little bit of information about my surroundings. I could feel a cushion beneath me, and under that the floor, leading me to believe that I was lying on a futon of some kind. A blanket had been laid over my body, providing warmth. I could also hear the crackling of a nearby fire, and since I could feel no wind and smell no smoke I discerned that we were indoors. Precisely _where_ the indoors were located, however, was another matter entirely. I had no idea where my captors had transported me.

"When do you think she'll come to?" another voice piped up from my left. I recognized it as Kuwabara's, or the blue-clad carrot-top from earlier.

"She's only been out an hour, Kuwabara," I heard Yusuke, the other boy, say from roughly the same direction. "It'll take her _way_ longer than that to come out of Hiei's spell."

Internally, I smirked. They had no idea, did they?

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Yusuke," a harsh, raspy voice spoke up. I immediately connected it to the diminutive figure in black who had allowed me to fall off of the school roof. He was directly in front of me, if some distance away.

"Huh?"

"She's awake already," Hiei said.

Cover blown, I snapped open my eyes and sat bolt upright, glaring directly at Hiei. Just as I had predicted, he was leaning nonchalantly on the rough wooden wall straight in front of me. A collective gasp had issued from the room's occupants as I moved unexpectedly… all save for Hiei, that is, who smirked.

"You let me fall," I said in a low voice, narrowing my eyes into slits. Hiei shrugged.

"I would have caught you had you been in danger," he said. I ground my teeth as he finished with: "But you weren't, were you? You seemed to handle the problem well enough on your own."

"Now, now, you two; can't we all be friends?"

I turned to my right and regarded the bubbly-voiced woman. She was kneeling next to me on the floor, and had a pleading look plastered across her pretty face. Her hands were held up in front of her in a warding gesture, and her pink (pink?) eyes were accented sharply by her powder blue (blue?) hair and pale skin.

"Botan, right?" I asked dryly. She rocked backwards and looked at me weirdly, obviously freaked.

"Well, I, um, that is—" she stammered. "That IS me name, but how—?"

I merely smiled at her. "You shouldn't talk about a person's hair color when your _own _is something to be gawked over."

"Relax, Botan," interjected the high-pitched tenor voice. Then the voice addressed me: "I said her name aloud right before you woke up, dolt."

A teenage boy dressed in old-fashioned robes was standing directly behind Botan. He had brown hair and eyes, and what looked to be a blue pacifier hanging out of his mouth. How he managed to talk around it I will never know.

"And you would be…?" I drawled, trying to seem cool; a hard feat when he practically loomed over me, what with me being seated and him being both tall AND standing.

"Koenma," he said. "Prince of the Underworld."

I stared blankly, noticing that he had a tattoo that read 'Jr.' on his forehead.

"And I suppose the White Rabbit will be coming over for tea at four o'clock today. Hmm, Hatter?" I asked mockingly as I tore my eyes away from his weird marking. Koenma's eyes narrowed.

"Are you using an obscure literary reference to call me insane, Miss Miranda?" he said quietly.

Rather than answer, I stole a quick glance around the room. It was roughly hewn from wood, and a large stone fireplace had been installed behind Botan; the flames within it provided the room with its only light. Sliding paper doors—the old fashioned kind you hardly ever saw outside of the occasional teahouse—were located directly to Hiei's left. All of the boys who had pursued me through the school were present, except for Kurama, who was nowhere to be found. I did not recognize the room.

"Where are we?" I asked aloud, turning back to Koenma. Yusuke spoke up in his stead.

"Genkai's temple. It's in the mountains north of the city."

I turned to face both him and Kuwabara. "And _you're_ the hooligans who chased me all over the school," I smirked. "Would either of you two care to explain just _what in the bloody hell is going on here_?" I swept my eyes over all of the room's occupants, glaring. "And just who _are_ all of you people? Why am I here?"

Koenma stepped forward, then knelt at my side. "I believe I would be the best one to explain."

The room had gone quiet. I swallowed and said nothing.

"Let me begin by asking you a question, Miranda: have you ever 'sensed' something, possibly before it happened?"

I scoffed. "It's called 'instinct,' man. Intuition. Nothing major."

Koenma's brown eyes blazed. "What if you're wrong." It was not a question. "What if the things you can do are more than that, Miranda? And, yes, I know about _everything_ you can do. Just so you know, lying about it will not work."

I opened my mouth indignantly, about to reply, but then stopped. I looked warily at Koenma.

"What do you mean, 'everything?'"

It was Koenma's turn to smirk. "I know that you can sense when you're being watched, for one, and I know that you can detect people who approach you before you actually hear or see them. You've had prophetic dreams, and have on several occasions predicted the weather and near future." His eyes glittered and his smile widened. "I also know that you managed to levitate yourself earlier today."

I blinked at him. "Is that what that was?"

Koenma nodded, but his smile faded. "Miranda, this might seem like a strange question to ask, but… have you been feeling at all… _weak_, lately?"

I gave him a level look, thoroughly perplexed. "I've had a few fainting spells over the last few weeks, if that's what you mean, but I hadn't been drinking much water and the weather had been hotter 'n hell so I wrote it off to dehydration." I put a hand to my head. "But now that you mention it, after I drank some water I still felt a bit shaky."

Koenma's face was grave. "I'm afraid that wasn't mere dehydration, Miranda."

My heart decided to pick up the pace at that moment, and I could hear its rapid beating in my ears. A cold sweat broke out on my neck and the backs of my hands. "What was it, then?" I asked in a low, dangerous voice.

Koenma ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I have Good News, and I have Bad News. Which would you like to hear first?"

"The bad news always tends to cancel out the good news, so I guess I'll hear the depressing part first," I said dryly. Koenma nodded at me.

"In this case it doesn't, luckily for you. You see, Miranda, you're dying."

I stared at him.

"But wait—" he held up his hands imploringly. "We can keep you from dying if you cooperate."

"The fact of the matter is… Miranda, you're a psychic."

I continued to stare at him.

"Yes, you heard that right. Anyway, as I was saying, you're a psychic, BUT your mental state is… restricted. I don't know why. You see, your psychic powers have, as of yet, not manifested aside from the random levitation and premonition. Psychic individuals need to release their pent up energy, or else it will get stored up in their body. That might not sound so bad, but psychic energy and physical energy are like opposite ends of a magnetic—they're repellent. Psychic energy tends to eat away at a body when stored at high levels of concentration. You—" he pointed straight at me, "haven't properly released your energy even ONCE in your lifetime. You're at the point that if we do not take care of this problem, in a few weeks your body will shut down from an overload of psychic force. In short, your concentration level is so high that you're in danger of killing yourself!"

I sat still a moment, absorbing that.

It was too hard to believe; too bizarre. But… it made sense. The bouts of weakness I had been having lately, the predictions I had made, the levitation in the courtyard… this was the only thing that explained it all.

I wasn't quite ready to just throw away my doubts and believe it yet, though, no matter how much sense it made.

"Okay," I said after a moment's silence. "Let's say that I AM a psychic, and that I'm about to die." I pinned Koenma with a glare. "What does this have to do with you guys? Why did you kidnap me?"

"We can help!" cried a bubbly voice.

I jumped about a foot in the air. I had forgotten about the other people in the room.

"You see, we're from the Spirit World!" Botan exclaimed happily. "We're in charge of keeping the supernatural where it belongs, and helping those with natural gifts—like Kuwabara and Yusuke!"

I turned to the two teens and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a psychic, too," Kuwabara said with a grin. "Though I can't levitate stuff or anything. I've just got enhanced spiritual sensitivity."

"And I'm the Spirit Detective!" said Yusuke proudly, pointing at himself. "I'm like the Spirit World's hit man. I take down rogue demons, locate artifacts, work—"

"Wait, wait, wait," I said. "Did you say 'demons'?"

A hush fell over the room.

"Oops."

"Yusuke!" You weren't supposed to tell her THAT much!" Koenma all but screeched at the abashed teen.

"Aw, pipe down, Pacifier-Breath!" Yusuke said loudly, sticking out his tongue. "She would have found out anyway!"

"Demons?" I asked again. "Demons? Demons exist? You mean like red and blue ogres in fairytales and shinigami and stuff?"

Koenma, still glaring at Yusuke, turned back to me. "Both exist. You're in the room with two of them."

I blanched. "Huh?"

"Technically, I'm a shinigami, and Hiei is a demon," Botan said, blushing. "As a demon in the Human realm, Hiei helps Yusuke with his duties as the Spirit detective. As a shinigami, I escort the dead to Heaven or Hell. There are thousands of my kind spread out over the human plane, but I'm one of the shinigami officers who reports directly to the head of the afterlife."

"The head?" I asked. "And just who would that be?"

"Me," said Koenma. I oh-ed in response, staring with wide eyes.

Koenma took advantage of my silence at that point and began to rant. He told me about the three plains: the Demon, Human, and Spirit worlds that coexist on separate realms of existence, but overlap or merge in spots (one example he gave was the Bermuda Triangle). He filled me in on the existence of demons, spirit detectives, ghosts, the afterlife, and shinigami. He also filled me in on the existence and role of psychics.

"Psychics," he said, "true ones who are powerful enough, anyway, are usually informed about the existence of the Spirit world, though not always the Demon. They act as the Spirit world's informants on the Human world. They report to me when they feel another psychic being born, when a rift between the three worlds appears, or when a fledgling psychic finally awakens their powers. One such individual informed me of _your_ existence, actually."

"Am I going to have to start reporting to you, then?" I inquired tentatively. "Since you took the time to find me and all, I assume I've made the cut."

Koenma and Botan both nodded.

"But first we'll have to teach you to use your powers properly."

"Right," I said, nodding. "Uh-huh… and just what were those again?"

Botan fell silent and looked at Koenma inquisitively. Koenma fidgeted.

"Yeah, just what ARE her capabilities, Diaper Bag?" Yusuke piped up. Kuwabara nodded along and said:

"I'm curious to know, too. How 'bout you, Hiei—Hiei?"

I looked around. Hiei had, strangely, disappeared. "Where'd the PMSing midget go?"

Kuwabara and Yusuke, whom I shall from now on call Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum when referring to them as a duo, on succumbed to a fit of giggles. Botan fixed her magenta eyes on my hazel ones, her look stern.

"You shouldn't make fun of people like that, Miranda. You're not much taller than Hiei yourself!"

I frowned. "Yeah, but I don't go around letting people fall off buildings. That has to count towards my figurative height _somehow_."

She stared at me, perplexed. Koenma coughed, drawing my attention back to him.

"Your powers, Miranda," he said, pacifier bobbing. "Let's stay on task, shall we?"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. Koenma rolled his eyes, shot a glare at the still giggling Tweedle Brothers, and turned back to me.

"You are what we like to term as a 'will user,'" he said. "They are fairly rare in humans, though not so much in demons or shinigami. Basically, what being a will user means is that through the power of you will, or your focused attention and emotion, you can make things _happen_. That levitation incident helped to solidify my opinion on the matter. All you need now is a proper instructor in the art of will bending."

"Instructor," I said. "Got it. Oh, and just for the record, I really hope you've got somebody in mind, because I am _fresh out_ of psychic coaches, myself." I ran a hand through my short pink-and-black hair. "This is _crazy_."

Koenma stopped down to my level. "Yes, about that… Miranda, I have a very serious question to ask you."

I blinked at him. "Shoot, baby doll. I'm all ears."

He gave me a very level look with his narrow brown eyes, then spoke.

"As I said earlier, will users are a rarity among humans. We only know of one will user alive at the moment, but he's not exactly… And most humans would…" Koenma was obviously hedging around something, and it grated on my nerves. Hedging tended to do that to me.

"He's not WHAT?" I asked impatiently. "And most humans are WHAT? Just what are you getting at, Jr.?"

Koenma took a deep breath.

"Miranda… I want to know if you'd be comfortable with having a demon as your instructor."

* * *

**

* * *

_AUTHOR TIME_**

**Yeah so this was totally one of those "lots of info but no action" chapters. Sorry! I had to be done (sorry it took so long; it was a pain to write!)!**

**_REVIEW REPLIES!!_**

**E.DRENNAN: Dont get dependent, now! Thanks for the reivew!**

**MEKIA: Thank you for your kind reviews! I do not deserve such praise!**

**LAOCHRA: I had a lot of fun composing the bathroom scene. Glad you liked it!**

**HOKU ALA: She and Hiei aren't going to be buddies or anything, that's for certain! Thanks for the review!**

**_Well, later days, dudes! See you next time!_**

**YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI**

**GRAVITY © VIR M.**


	6. Chapter 6: Invasion

Gravity

A Fanfiction by Vir M.

Chapter 06:

"Invasion"

* * *

A demon for a teacher?

I didn't say anything, at first. What could I have said? My curiosity about the three worlds waned as I sat there, absorbing the toddler king's words.

Me, tutored by a demon? Me, working with a demon? A hell-beast? A monster from a childhood bedtime story?

Koenma's gaze waxed uncertain the longer I waited to speak. But not speaking seemed only natural to me—after all, I had not only been informed that my entire world was living in ignorance, but also that I was one of the few people in the world that would ever have the 'privilege' of knowing the whole truth, and that the truth (as insane as it sounded and despite how much I wished to deny it) was about to become the crux of my existence. It was one thing to simply know of the reality of the Demon and Spirit Worlds, but another thing entirely to be asked to coexist with a previously heretofore unknown life form—to be taught by one, no less—so I stayed quiet, staring at Koenma with wide eyes and a pounding heart.

Koenma began to sweat before my eyes. He cleared his throat and snuck a sideways glance at Botan. The blue haired Shinigami had hidden her mouth behind her hands and shot back a look that contained a myriad of emotions: apprehension, fear, and maybe even excitement.

The toddler king looked back at me. "It's the only way, Miranda," he said in a gentle voice, but there was a threatening edge to his tone that made me tense up. "There are no human will users capable of teaching you what you need to learn, and the consequences of not learning… well, they could prove to be deadly." He leaned forward and reached for my hand. "Miranda, listen to me, please. This is the only way."

I recoiled the instant his skin touched mine; I couldn't help it. "You expect me to just sit here and accept this shit?" I hissed, moving until I knelt on the floor. My knees could feel the hard wood floor beneath the futon, and the joints slowly began to go numb. "You just dropped the bombshell of the century and you expect me to just play along with it? Well, pal, you have another thing coming! I didn't ask you to swoop into my normal, boring life and rip everything away from me—I didn't wanna know I was a psychic or that I'm dying or whatever, and a certainly didn't wanna know about demons and grim reapers and all that crap!"

"Miranda—" said Botan, inching forward.

"NO!" My voice lashed out like a whip, and she retreated. "Save your stupid stories for somebody else! I don't give a damn if I'm dying—just give me my normal life back, no demons, no other worlds, no grim reapers, just—just—GIVE ME MY STUPID OLD HUMDRUM LIFE BACK!" I shot to my feet and made a mad dash for the sliding paper door, threw it open, and stumbled onto a porch bathed in moonlight and starshine.. Beyond a wooden partition painted scarlet lay an old-fashioned Japanese garden complete with birdbaths, bonsai trees, and Buddhist statuettes. Spherical paper lanterns hung from poles and trees cast a warm orange glow over the setting, making the place look peaceful and serene. I vaulted wildly over the red wooden railing, leaving the paper lanterns swinging in my wake, and made a break for the dark wood at the edge of the orderly garden. Before I could reach it, however, Yusuke was in front of me.

"Whoa, girl," he said, smiling. Pity lanced his eyes, but the firmness of his mouth suggested that he would not hesitate to use force to restrain me. "Go back inside. We're only trying to help you."

My chest began to heave, and I realized on a detached level that I was hyperventilating. I tried to dodge around the delinquent in green, but he moved in front of me each time I sidestepped him. "Move!" I screamed, tears beginning to well. "Let me go!"

A pair of thick arms encircled me from behind and lifted me two, three feet off the ground. "Miranda, I'm sorry about this!" Kuwabara rumbled in my ear.

I struggled, then dipped my head low and dug my teeth into his hand. He dropped me with a yelp. Then I darted between his legs and pelted back toward the house, straight at a stricken Botan and a fuming Koenma. I pushed past them and leapt onto the porch, then followed the curve of it around the corner of the house. The lanterns lining the veranda flickered past like ruby ghosts.

I ran down the porch for a long time, and I dimly realized that the building was huge—not that it mattered, because as I rounded a corner I nearly smashed headlong into Hiei, who stood calmly in my path with his black cloak fluttering in the evening breeze. "Stand down," he said softly, and Kuwabara and Yusuke thundered to a halt behind me. They each grabbed one of my arms and hauled me—kicking and snarling and sobbing—back to the room I woke up in.

"Put her down on the futon," Koenma ordered. Botan looked on with tears in her eyes, and as soon as the Tweedle brothers had tossed me none too gently onto the bed I was back on my feet and heading for the door.

Hiei appeared again and stuck his foot out so that I tripped on my way out. It was only the porch's red guardrail that stopped me from hitting the ground; I clung to the balustrade, legs suddenly weak, and pressed my face into the painted wood as tears streamed down my cheeks. A moment later, Yusuke and Kuwabara had me by the arms again.

"Miranda…"

I looked up, and Botan and Koenma were standing in the doorway, Hiei just behind them. The Spirit World operatives looked at me with pity, but also with a drop of tiredness, too. Hiei just looked bored.

"I am sorry about this," Koenma said to me, then looked at Hiei and said: "Hiei! Restrain her!"

Hiei nodded and stepped toward me. "My pleasure." Then he yanked the bandana from his forehead, and the purple eye opened wider than a dragon's maw.

Just like the first time, the sight of the purple eye filled my vision until I felt I was drowning in purple light. But then darkness began to encroach on the color, and I realized the trap I was falling into. _No!_ I tried to scream, but nothing came out. _No!_ _Get away from me!_

That was when _It_ called out to me.

It spoke no words, but I knew It was there. A tendril of the presence's energy brushed up against my consciousness, soothing and tender. _Don't worry_, It whispered, _for I am here_. Another wisp of the energy swept the seductive purple of Hiei's power away, cutting a swath of clarity through the violet haze. I could see again. Hiei was staring at me, face filled with rage and loathing, and when I opened my mouth to speak the presence shushed me. _Be at peace, Miranda_, It said. Then It took me over and began to pour out of every fiber of my body and spirit like a deluge of electricity. _I will take care of this for you, my master._

I am not sure what happened then. One moment my hypersensitive body was frozen with the image of Hiei's face in my eyes, and the next the whole scene was bathed in color. 'It' revealed itself to be a warm goldenrod glow that haloed my body and flowed out of my outstretched hands like golden water, and a purple chill poured out of Hiei like a boiling, fiery fog. Red tipped its edges, and his spiky hair appeared to writhe as if it were aflame. The purple stream flowed from him to me, and was wrapped tightly about my body. However, the gold light seeping from my skin combated the violet fog, forcing it away from my skin and back into Hiei. Once the purple had been beaten back a safe distance, the gold surged out of me and grabbed at the purple energy like a vice. Taking hold of Hiei's strands, the gold began to infect Hiei's stream, turning it a muddy brown, and then it began to drift toward the hapless Yusuke and Koenma and Botan, and—

Hiei grunted in pain, fell to one knee, and something inside me snapped. "NO!" I screamed aloud, clutching my head in my hands. With a power I did not know I possessed I began to pull the butterscotch light back into my body. "NO! Get away from them!" When the power resisted, I reached out my hands and took the torrent of gold between my fingertips. "OBEY ME, DAMMIT!"

The gold complied. It surged back into me like a flood and began to ricochet inside my body, bouncing inside of me in starbursts of yellow pain. I screamed, then, feeling the gold boil in my mind, and fell to the ground. My arms encircled my body as I writhed on the wooden porch, feeling like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. The light tried to escape, once, and began to leak from my pores, but I forced it back inside of me seconds after it shredded all of my clothing and reduced the porch beneath me to so many splinters.

"Get Yukina, quickly!" someone yelled. "And Kurama! Hurry!" Then I was cradled in strong arms and a voice soothed me with the words: "There now, don't cry, everything will be alright, just you wait and see…"

But the world faded into gold, and I knew little beyond the scope of my own pain.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This is a very rough, very short chapter with a lot going on. We get some Jin goodness next chapter, though, so don't you worry.

Did you all think I was dead? Surprise! I'm alive! Yay!

I'm already halfway through the next chapter. Why? Because originally this chapter and the events therein were not a part of my plan. I was going to make Miranda be totally fine with having a demon teacher, but then I realized that, logically, that just didn't make sense. After all, if I were told that demons existed and I was going to be spending 24/7 with one, I'd be pretty freaked. Only Mary Sues or idiots would accept the facts without questioning, and Miranda is (hopefully) neither.

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Firstly, this fic takes place after the Three Kings Tournament, and I go by the MANGA for those who want to know. Jin is an A-Class demon, as is Touya, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama (or does Yusuke tow the S line?). However, Yusuke has been living in the human world for about a year, and he is so out of practice that he let his guard down when chasing Miranda in the school (which explains how she managed to kick him in the face). Kuwabara is significantly weaker than everyone else, but he is also the most sensitive to psychic pulls. Kuwabara is attending college to be a chemist, Kurama has a job as a trainee lawyer, and everybody tends to wear their old school uniforms while on Spirit World jobs mainly because I like those outfits more than any of their others. They'll ditch the outfits soon though, I promise. Oh, and Yusuke and Keiko are more or less engaged, Yukina is living partially at Genkai's Temple and partially with Shizuru, and Hiei tends to spy on his sister from treetops. Now you're up to speed. Wheee.

I felt myself almost write a MirandaxHiei moment several times in this chapter, but I resisted for Jin's sake. However, I keep wanting to write a HieixMiranda moment, probably because I can see Miranda and Hiei together very easily. Hm… maybe alternative storyline I could explore? Alternate universe fic? A LOVE TRIANGLE OF DOOM (and idiocy?)? One has to wonder…

YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI

GRAVITY © VIR M.


	7. Chapter 7: Goodbye

Gravity

A Fanfiction by Vir M.

Chapter 07:

"Goodbye"

* * *

As Jin the Windmaster stared at his room for the last time, his face sported an uncharacteristic frown. "Why do _I_ hafta go again?

Ice Master Touya, beside him, sighed. "It's Koenma's orders," he said. "You are the only one who can help him."

Jin pursed his lips. "I don't know if I rightly believe that, meself. I'm not the last will-user in the Demon World, and Koenma knows it." Whistling, he crossed over to the tiny hole cut in his room's rough stone wall and watched as the Demon World's twilight daytime faded into pitch-black night. Oily purple clouds boiled in the sky, and Jin felt a sudden surge of elation course through him as he thought of the fluffy white clouds and pure, yellow sunshine of the Human Realm. Blue sky, as far as the eye could see, and the _flying_—the few weeks Jin had spent among the humans during the Dark Tournament were some of his fondest memories. Nothing could beat the Human World sky—nothing Jin had experienced, at least.

"I'll miss this place," Jin murmured, running his fingers over the window's rough sill. He looked at Touya and grinned. "And just when the Shinobi were getting some good business, too!"

Touya's face turned wistful. "Yes, but you will be in the light. There is nothing more precious than that."

Jin turned away, frowning again. Touya and the rest of the Shinobi who had survived the Dark Tournament and the tournament deciding the new ruler of the Demon World had been hard at work the past few months, trying their very best to establish a new order of demons bent on keeping the Demon World stable while remaining unseen. Jin's tiny, rough-cut room had been his sanctuary during those months, the only place he could go to escape Touya's constant nagging (Jin was the only Shinobi to not pick and train his eventual successor, though that wasn't because he hadn't found a worthy candidate—Jin simply had been too lazy to choose any of the youngsters, and had been far too friendly with all of them to play favorites and send all the unlucky hopefuls away). Even the missions had started to bore him—taking out rogue demons just wasn't as fun as it used to be, not when he could remember the Human World sky and the clean, pure wind waiting for him there.

Truth be told, Jin was not as adverse to leaving as he was playing at being. Sure he would miss Touya and the others, but the sky called to him and when Koenma had requested that he come to the Human World he had not debated on his decision long.

"I wish we had taken Kurama's training before the Dark Tournament," he sighed. "We could have won the island, and…"

Touya looked pained. The loss of the Dark Tournament still weighed heavily on his shoulders. Under the rule of the new king, the fair and generous Enki, the only demons allowed into the Human Realm were C or D class demons. Higher level demons could only go between worlds if they were under the Spirit World's employ, but Touya—whose voracious appetite for the light and newfound power after his training for Yomi's army had made him a person the Spirit World had to be wary of—was not allowed clearance. Jin himself was an extremely special exception, a direct request from the highest order of the Spirit Realm's higher-ups. Touya was understandably jealous, though he tried his best not to show his feelings to Jin, who was both the ice apparition's colleague and best friend.

"It's fine," Touya said in his cool voice. "If you bring the Shinobi order into the Spirit World's good graces, we may well have a chance to branch out into the Human World. Your good behavior in the Human World ensures us a foothold on both the Spirit World's white list and on the soil of the world of light. What more could we ask for?"

"Ye know I'd take ye if I could, Touya," Jin said with a grin, and slapped Touya roughly on the back. Touya smiled, but his eyes held immeasurable pain.

"I know you would, Jin," he said. "I know you would."

Jin lowered his hand and stared at his feet. Bare toes stood out sharply against gray stone.

"You had better go to the pickup point," Touya said in a soft, desperate voice, and Jin winced.

"I'm gonna miss everyone," Jin said. "Wanna walk me to the courtyard?"

The two demons exited the room, and Jin gave his meager cot and bare walls one last lingering look. Then he and Touya walked through the plain corridors of the winding Shinobi compound in complete silence.

The Shinobi compound was an expansive building that formed a nearly perfect ring around a wide dirt courtyard used primarily as a sparring ring. The one gate—nearly twenty feet high and made of tough Demon World iron—that marred the circle served as the compound's only entrance and exit, save for the few foot-wide windows that had been occasionally punched though the outer walls. The courtyard was Jin and Touya's destination, and as they passed by work rooms and armories and the other shinobis' personal rooms, Jin felt premature homesickness well up within him. The feeling intensified as he stepped out of the building and into the yard, and grew even sharper as Touya moved to lean against the compound building's wall, leaving Jin alone in the center of the courtyard.

Jin hefted his small pack of belongings higher on his shoulder. Tilting his head skyward, he regarded the purple clouds above with eyes of the most melancholy blue. A wind smelling of sulfur and dust blew his red hair into his eyes, and with a pang of torn allegiances he felt himself long for the clean air of the Human World, felt himself long to leave the fouled clouds above behind. But then he glanced at Touya—at the pain held in those icy aquamarine eyes—and faltered.

Touya and Jin had been Shinobi cadets together, back when the Shinobi had auctioned off their services to the highest bidder. They had each been trained under their respective masters at the same time, and had bonded over the hardships of their toil. Then they had ascended into the role of Master at the same time, and their bond grew all the more. Touya was one of Jin's few true friends, for few demons—the majority of which were bloodthirsty by nature—could understand Jin's utter lack of malice and enjoyment of pure fighting, nor could they abide his jovial attitude and lighthearted joking. That blithe personality, coupled with Jin's obvious strength, made him both approachable, infuriating, and enigmatic to an extreme. Touya, however, was cool, level headed, and serious enough to look past Jin's odd habits. He understood Jin's drive for a worthy opponent, as it paralleled Touya's own drive for light. After the Dark Tournament, when two of the masters were revealed as honorless traitors and one other lay dead, Jin and Touya had to work together to rebuild the Shinobi from the ground up. Then they trained together under Kurama's tutelage, and—well, suffice to say they were close. There was no denying that beneath their ties as coworkers lay an unbreakable tapestry of friendship.

"I don't really wanna leave, ye ken?" Jin said, looking again at the purple sky. "This is for th' Shinobi."

Touya nodded. "I know," he said, and whispered: "Go."

Jin summoned the wind and drifted an inch or two off the ground. "I'll come back as quick as I can. Keep an eye on the cadets, ye hear?" Then the wind picked up into a roar, and the will manipulator rocketed skyward in an explosion of dust and hot, dry wind.

A clearing hidden deep in the heart of the Demon World forest contained a tiny rift in the fabric of space, and to any demon with an attuned sense of spiritual awareness the spot glowed as if it were a fading neon bulb. To Jin, the place glowed blue and made his teeth ache, and it took him several minutes of circling around the clearing in order to work up the nerve to land on the dry, cracked ground below.

When he landed, the sensation faded. The only indication of there being a rift was a three-foot-long vertical line marring the air two feet off the ground. Jin found that the line disappeared when you looked directly at it, but when glimpsed from the corner of the eye shapes became visible through the hole. The sight made him queasy, however, and disoriented, so he tried not to look at it for long—and he especially tried not to look at it when the Spirit World's Prince strode directly out of it and into the clearing.

Watching people slip through cracks between the worlds was an odd experience. You could not see them, at first, as something about rifts reduced travelers down to one dimension for the duration of their trip. It was like watching a balloon inflate in super-fast time when the traveler reached their destination—one minute Koenma was a vertical line slightly thinner than the rift, and the next he expanded to his full form. Two others followed him. The first: Hiei, diminutive fire demon and master of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. The second: Kurama in his human body. Jin could vaguely sense the ancient kitsune's spirit energy lurking beneath the redhead's own human energy, and suppressed a shudder. Kurama could be a real monster sometimes, and Jin didn't know if he was glad to see his ex-trainer or intimidated by the kitsune-turned-human.

Koenma stepped forward, face uncharacteristically drawn. "Good, you're here," he said, adjusting his scarf. He had donned his teenage body (for the time being) and was looking frazzled. "Well, let's get going, shall we?"

Jin dropped his satchel on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, Koenma," he said, "I'm not tryin' to be difficult, but those summons o' yers were a bit vague. Just what am I gettin' myself into, eh?"

Koenma ran a hand through his hair and looked at Kurama. The redhead nodded and stepped toward Jin. "It's something we would only trust an ally with," he said in his smooth voice. "I vouched for you. I know you are trustworthy."

Jin grinned. "Aye, our time t'gether in Yomi's army could've told ya that much. But still—whaddaya need me for?"

Koenma shivered and looked at the trees surrounding the clearing. "Not here," he said. "We'll talk in my office back in the Spirit World. Follow us." He didn't say another word after that—just strode through the portal and disappeared in the blink of an eye and the stretching of space and time. Hiei, after taking one last look around the demon forest—his red eyes glittered with hunger, then cooled when he noticed Jin's scrutiny— and followed the prince.

Jin stared at the rift with no small amount of trepidation, and jumped when Kurama said "After you, wind master."

Jin hesitated, then nodded. "'course," he said. Then he approached the tear and leapt through into the unknown.

* * *

AUTHOR TIME

I think that as the last two members of the original five Shinobi, Jin and Touya, must be very close. Sorry if it's at all shonen-ai, but I think they are as tightly knit as brothers, and I tried to convey that in my writing. As for Touya, I have no idea if his character is right. But I know that he is calm and would do anything to gain access to the light, so I feel that my portrayal of his inner pain was accurate.

In the dub of Yu Yu Hakusho, Jin speaks with an Irish accent. In the original Japanese he speaks with a Tohoku accent. Now, I only speak a little Japanese (and by 'little' I mean that I know the words 'sushi,' 'ramen,' and 'udon,' but nothing else), so it's understandable that I know JACK SHIT about the Tohoku dialect. That being the case, I have opted for writing Jin's dialogue with a bit of an Irish flair (Jin just wouldn't be Jin without an accent, so going the no-accent route just seems stupid to me) but I'm not very good at conveying the Irish-ness, so… please cut me some slack about it, or give me advice. Thanks! By the way, apparently the phrase "ye ken" means "you know." So don't get confused if Jin uses it.

Also, I do not believe there is true daytime in the Demon World. I think that "day" has the brightness of our dusk, and that their "night" is almost pure blackness. Why else would light be such a big deal to Touya and the Shinobi? The winds are probably harsh and get even harsher the higher you fly, hence Jin's aversion to the Demon World atmosphere. I also feel that Jin is a lover of the Human World, because the look on his face when he flies into they sky during his battle with Yusuke makes him look… joyous, almost. Like he'd never seen anything so wonderful in his life.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed seeing Jin in all his windy glory! Thanks for reading (and for helping me out!).

YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI

GRAVITY © VIR M.


	8. Chapter 8: Spirit World

Gravity

A Fan fiction by Vir M.

Chapter 08:

"The Situation"

* * *

Jin hated the way his bones compacted together as his atomic structure was compressed into a single dimension; he hated the way his lungs were flattened so much that it proved impossible to breathe. Every part of him screamed to be back to normal size, to breathe the foul demon world air, to relish the blood rushing through his three-dimensional veins and feel the frantic pounding of his heart. But, since he was trapped in a rift of time and space with no way out and no choice but to let the rift string him along its winding course, he let his crushed molecules drift through a sharp haze of pain and discomfort.

Landing in the spirit world was little better. As quickly as Jin had been compressed, he was released. His lungs expanded and stretched painfully as his bones crackled back into their places and his muscles inflated like aching balloons. With a grunt he stumbled from the portal into a brightly lit room. In front of him sat a large desk; the tall chair behind it was turned away so its occupant could face the massive television screen mounted on the back wall.

Jin had visited the spirit world a handful of previous times, and the impression he had garnered had been one of organized chaos. Ogres of many colors had sprinted from desk to desk and door to door like supernatural honeybees, shouting about paperwork and deadlines, but now the large white room was bare of desks and no doors brimming with ogres lined the walls—the doors had, in fact, vanished. Even Koenma's ever-present blue ogre was missing, a fact that disquieted even Jin's go-lucky sensibilities.

The sound of footsteps prompted Jin to turn around just in time to see Kurama leap gracefully from the portal. The hazy spot then disappeared, and the demon fox smiled a grim little smile over Jin's shoulder.

"We got him," Kurama said.

Hiei—who Jin had failed to notice—was standing to the left of the desk, and he nodded at Kurama as the fox moved to the desk's right. The chair promptly spun around, revealing the child-king Koenma. Lines marred the toddler's forehead as he sucked madly on his characteristic pacifier.

"Jin, welcome," he intoned. "I apologize for the suddenness of the summons and the lack of information, but we have a lot to do and very little time in which to do it. So pardon me for saying this, but shut up and listen so we can all get down to business."

Jin grinned at the brusqueness of Koenma's tone, but secretly felt relieved. Touya had told him to play nice, and Koenma's apology for leaving him in the dark made it much easier. "Sounds good to me," the redhead said.

Koenma studied him for a moment. "You're a will user, but you were schooled primarily in wind manipulation."

"Yeah, but you knew that already, didn't ya?" Jin asked.

Koenma nodded. "But you still have a good grasp on basic will techniques?"

Jin grinned again and took a step toward the desk. Cupping a hand around his mouth, he said in a mock whisper: "I'm gonna let you in on a lil' secret. The trick to wind manipulation_ is_ basic will technique. Will's used mostly as psychic-type stuff—moving objects and suchlike—and wind is basically a fancy way of saying that I move things on a grander scale than your garden-variety psychic who can levitate a stick on command."

Koenma couldn't help but smile. "Very good." Opening a drawer, the toddler picked up a small black remote control. "Before I show you this, let me explain," he said. "Some time ago, one of our operatives sensed the presence of a young human psychic who was completely unaware of their powers. As is common with ignorant psychics, her mental energy…" He stopped talking, sucking on the pacifier with new vigor. "Well, it's hurting her."

Jin grimaced. He had had a similar experience as an unlearned cadet until he learned proper releasing exercises. "Go on."

"We apprehended her and tried to tell her the truth, but she… resisted." Koenma sighed and hung his head. "Had we not waited so long, this mess might have been avoided, but as it stands… she needs help." Turning, he jammed one of the remote's buttons at the huge TV screen.

The screen lit up, and Jin's grin widened. He was familiar with the concept of television; there had been one in the Dark Tournament hotel suite, and he had loved it. The image on the screen, however, made his smile fade. It hurt him just to look.

Pink and black hair clung to her greasy head, and lips that looked more used to laughing were white and beaded with pearly globes of sweat. Angular cheekbones showed off a hectic flush, and a distinct jaw line trembled in pain. Sheets were tangled about her legs and twined between her grasping fingers as her chest heaved for air; she panted for breath and moaned pitifully in her sleep. At her side, the ice apparition Yukina dipped a cloth in a bowl of water and breathed on it. The liquid frosted over, and with a finger she cracked the film of ice and lifted the cloth onto the dying girl's forehead.

"She's in pain!" Jin said, fists clenching.

"Agony," said Koenma. "Her name is Miranda, and she is in agony. We don't know how to fix her. Genkai says that the nature of Miranda's sprit energy is too different from her own, and that…"

"How did she get that way?" Jin asked. He kept his eyes locked tight on Miranda's face. "There is no way this is plain ol' energy build-up!"

Kurama stepped forward. "When we told her about the existence of us"—he waved his hand over the room's collection of demons—"and she had a bit of a meltdown. Hiei set out to subdue her, and—"

"Backlash?" Jin asked. When Kurama looked confused, he turned to Hiei. "Did her will go back inside o' her before she could use it?"

Hiei nodded, red eyes ablaze, and Jin could tell he hated the words he spoke next. "My guard was down. Her energy repelled mine, then attacked the others. She started screaming and pulled it back in before it touched anyone."

"She hasn't woken up since," Kurama added.

Jin began to pace, eyes unusually fierce. "When did this happen?"

Koenma looked uncomfortable. "Two days ago."

Jin swore loudly and colorfully. "She could be dead by now—why the bloody hell did you wait so long to come 'n get me?"

"We didn't know—"

"Get me to her," Jin snapped, and when Koenma just sat there looking sheepish the wind master shouted: "Now!"

"Alright, alright," Koenma grumbled, and with a wave of his hand he conjured another rift in the air in front of Jin. "This will take you to her, but I have to warn you that—"

However, it was too late for warnings, because Jin had already leapt through into the Human World.

* * *

He didn't know why he felt the way he did. It was only a human girl, after all, and although Jin was one of the few demons who felt that humans deserved the life they had been granted, he was not used to caring for them so much. 'Let them live their lives, let us live ours' was his motto. Jin was not one to get involved in another specie's disputes—he was too busy dealing with demonic tensions. It was Touya who wanted complete integration—Jin only desired the Human World's sky.

Something about the girl, however, had struck a chord within him. Her suffering face stirred up memories—memories of his own foray into the world of the Shinobi and of all the pain he had been put through. Jin had had no one, growing up—no one at all other than Touya—and there had an utter lack of guidance from adults. Thus, he felt himself empathizing with the pitiful human girl. She was alone, unused to her powers and unwilling to accept them, and she needed a mentor to guide her through this dangerous time. That fact—coupled with the Spirit World's utter negligence in dealing with this situation, a detail that Jin was painfully aware of—made him want to rush to her, made him want to take her away from all of this. She was, surely, alone and scared and feeling helpless, and if Jin could right the wrong he had experienced as a child… well, he would do it, wouldn't he?

His emotions didn't make the crossing over any less difficult. Again his bones compacted; his lungs screamed; his eyes lost the ability to see. But when he emerged from his constricting prison, the Human World sky burned blue above his head.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

It's short (1500 words) but at least I updated. Sorry for lack of character development—it's coming like a late train. Still, we saw Jin, and that's always good. Next (hopefully longer) chapter will have Miranda and Jin together.


	9. Chapter 9: Minds

Gravity

By Vir M.

Chapter 09:

"Minds"

* * *

She lay sweating on her bed, teeth clenched and hands grasping at the bedcovers in desperate strains of muscle and bone. Every few minutes a low moan passed between her pressed lips, and her eyes roved behind closed lids as if they were trying to flee from something unnamable.

"There, there, little girl," Jin murmured, pulling up a chair next to Miranda. Behind him, figures stood in silent sentinel: Genkai, Botan, Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Yukina. They murmured quietly amidst themselves like closeted bees. Genkai stepped forward and placed a hand on the seated Jin's shoulder.

"What's your plan?" she asked, the dim lighting throwing the lines in her aged face into shadow.

"Gotta drain 'er," Jin said. "You might wanna step back for this."

Then he placed his hands over her eyes—her skin burned him, hot to the touch with fever—and dove.

* * *

Explaining how he did what he did to anyone would prove to be impossible. Or, at least, so Jin thought. He dove into a place neither here nor there, a place of emotion and character and feeling. There was light, but there was no sun, and there was breath, but there was no oxygen. He dove into the deepest recesses of Miranda's power and soul, feeling against his skin-that-was-not-skin every nuance of her personality and hopes, dreams, character. He knew her, in that moment, better than any other entity in existence—perhaps even himself.

Headstrong, but insecure. Strong-willed, but accommodating. She held contradictions and hypocrisy and hopeless hopes—but she knew all that. She was not in denial about her flaws. Jin felt himself sympathizing with her, because she was exactly what she looked like with her tiny body and large eyes: an innocent child. But she was also tempered by a pessimistic and cynical streak that kept her from opening up to others, that kept her hidden behind a veneer of sarcasm and affected toughness.

Jin was the same. His chosen mask—the one that hid his insecurities and hopeless longings—was one of endless, mindless cheer.

Miranda's mind was a turmoil of golden light, light so intense in burned when Jin looked at it too hard. Thoughts and shapes drifted through the bright currents of her subconscious like leaves in a gale, but as they floated past him he caught bits and pieces of her mind.

A girl with blue streaks in her hair told Miranda to be _careful_, OK?, before giving the tiny pink-haired girl a bear hug and running off to god knew where.

A tall woman with brown hair hugged Miranda goodbye for the umpteenth time. Miranda felt no sadness at seeing her mother leave for a year-long trip—only immeasurable pain when her mother did not look back at her daughter even once as she got into the taxicab waiting at the curb.

A man pulled Miranda into the back of a white-paneled van. A police officer saw and put a stop to it, his face reddening in exertion as the kidnapper fought back with everything he had. The moment's faded memory set Miranda's heart to frenzied pounding.

Jin tuned out the memories, instead taking inventory of her soul's geography. What he saw made his blood-that-wasn't-blood chill. She had erected walls around her soul, a dam to hold back the energy ricocheting within her, and she was slowly destroying herself in her effort to keep the energy from harming others. Emotion—pure emotion—pulsed in the air, crying out in pain and rage. _Obey me!_ Miranda seemed to be screaming. _Obey me!_

In the golden gale, a voice _whispered_: Never!

* * *

Miranda drifted in a golden void. Every spark stung her like a thousand needles, but she had no voice to scream with. For what seemed an eternity she floated, defenseless, through pain and light, alone but for her own thoughts. Every painful experience she had ever had flashed before her, replaying her scars in stunning clarity. The golden energy within her paced, a tiger looking for escape, and Miranda desperately built walls around the wellspring of power in an attempt to keep it in control. But it was patient, chipping away at her defenses and leaving her exhausted.

_Help me!_ she tied to scream in her wordless voice. _Help me take control, someone, please!_

Her cries, for a long time, went unheeded.

It was apparent that the only thing keeping Miranda alive was her willpower, and even that was fading fast.

Jin pulled himself out of Miranda's mind slightly and attached himself to the outside of the walls she had built. Then he began to open a chink in them, dismantling a tiny section brick-by-brick until he forged a window into her soul.

_Come t' me,_ he whispered into the hole he had created, and the golden light surged toward him.

* * *

Buffeted on all sides by the acidic light, Miranda felt her last defense crumbling.

_NO!_ she screamed into the void. _NO! I am not letting you out to hurt them! Never!_

The gold heaved toward her, attacking her growing weaknesses, and she felt herself become besieged by the hateful light.

But something changed, then—something wonderful and strange. It was as if a fish hook caught the golden light and pulled it away from her; it rushed away toward a point she could not see, leaving darkness in its wake.

_No!_ the golden light hissed as it lost its prey. _Miranda!_

But then the darkness—blessed, comforting darkness—covered her like a warm blanket, and she smiled as she felt her mind slipping away into unconsciousness. As she fell into welcome sleep at last, a voice within the darkness—a voice of kindness and comfort—spoke to her.

_There, now,_ the darkness said. _Jus' rest._ _Yer gonna be alright._

* * *

Jin took the light of Miranda's energy into his body until he felt like bursting at the seams, and then he took some more. Seventeen years of her unspent power filled him to the brim, and to the people watching it seemed as if Jin glowed like a golden sun in the dark bedroom. Eventually her power tapered off and her face relaxed into a blissful smile, whereas Jin slumped backward into his chair, shaking as if he had run a hundred miles.

Yukina came forward and took Miranda's hand into her own, stretching out her power to feel for Miranda's life force. She smiled, relieved, when she felt the girl's calm pulse and good temperature.

"She is recovering so quickly!" she said, happy at last for the human's bettering health. "What did you do, Jin?"

"Are you all right?" Genkai asked, moving forward to lay her hand once again on Jin's shoulder. The wind apparition, in response, smiled a shaky shadow of his usual grin.

"I'll be fine," he told her. "I took in th' energy she wouldn't let out. Ton o' it, too. Surprised she lasted this long, that I am."

"What happens now?" asked Kurama.

Jin stood up, feeling the crackle of energy against his skin as Miranda's stolen power seeped from his pores, searching for a way out. He couldn't help the way his hands clenched or the way he shifted his weight from foot to foot—he simply had too much energy to sit still.

"Where's a good place t' fly, Genkai?" he asked. "Gotta work this out. Too much for me to handle."

Genkai looked up at him and smiled.

"I own all the land around here for a long way," she said. "The main road surrounds my land on three sides, and the sea borders the fourth. Just don't go past the roads and no humans should see you."

Jin nodded his thanks and headed for the door, fully intent on running straight out of it and not stopping for anything. Oddly, Hiei blacked his path, his face totally blank. His eyes, however, burned like an inferno.

"Will she recover?" he asked snappishly, standing his ground against Jin's comparatively towering height.

"Should wake up in a few days, but who knows for sure, everyone's different." He fidgeted, trying to contain the energy inside him. "Out o' my way, Hiei. I've got things t' take care of."

Hiei didn't move.

"What exactly did you do to her?" he asked, glaring at the wind demon. "Tell me!"

"Dunno why yer gettin' so worked up over this," Jin snapped back. "I took out th' energy that was gonna kill her, is what I did. But now that energy is inside o' me and is gonna lash out at all o' you if I don't get somethin' done with it soon. So move!"

Hiei, satisfied, finally moved, and Jin almost ran full into him in his haste to get outside. It didn't take long to find the way out into the open air—the scent of the sky drew him along like a magnet—and the very moment he felt the wind ruffle his hair he summoned his power and shot like a bullet into the sky. Home at long last, he soared.

But his first experience with the Human World sky above Genkai's temple wasn't a complete joy. Miranda's energy would not cooperate. It refused to simply bend the air currents around Jin's body like he wanted it to; instead, it lashed out in violent arcs of murderous intent and sent Jin careening in angular patterns that he could hardly keep in check.

Realizing that flight would not be wise in this state, he crash-landed in a copse of trees and jumped from branch to branch until he reached the forest floor. Once safely on the ground, he fell to his knees and let out a measured blast of raw energy. The trees around him were shredded—deep score marks gouged into their bark, spraying sap in geysers of stickiness that coated Jin from his head to his toes. He let out blast after blast of energy, and when the edge had finally been taken off he rose into the air again, glancing apologetically at the ruined trees.

Miranda's energy had calmed by then, but it still took a great measure of control to keep it in check as Jin flew high into the sky. Above the clouds, he looked down at the world stretching far beneath his face and inhaled a great gulp of thin, clean air.

Everything he saw filled him with joy. Trees and rivers and swampland untouched by pollution or the Demon World darkness thrilled him; far to the west, the sea glimmered like a silver plate. The sun was setting, casting orange and pink and gold across the fathomless blue sky.

"Even if I had to leave Touya behind," he said to himself and the wind, closing his blue eyes to better feel the sun against his skin and the way the wind wound through his hair, "I don't regret comin' here, not for a second."

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Long time, no see. I recently received several reviews out of the blue requesting that I update, for which I am very grateful. My life has been less than easy and updating has been put on the back burner, but I had some spare time tonight and decided to indulge. I have realized I missed this story._

_Jin and Miranda meet (while both are conscious) in the next chapter, and it should prove to be interesting, at the very least. Stick around!_

_Thanks to rikoxriko and Revelation Wave for their wonderful reviews, and thanks to Nymphoro for faving out of the blue. You guys are the very best, and this chapter is for you._

_Also, I messed around with the fic's summary and gave you all a sneak peek at a future chapter. Tell me what you think, please! My summary skills are mediocre, at best._

_GRAVITY © VIR M._

_YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI_


	10. Chapter 10: Talk

Gravity

By Vir M.

Chapter 10:

"Talk"

* * *

After flying over the length and breadth of Genkai's land and working off every last drop of Miranda's energy, Jin returned to the temple. Night had fallen, and Jin had spent a long while just staring at the brilliant stars dotting the sky. The Demon World had no such stars, and the sight of them filled him, once again, with joy. But he knew the others would be missing him, so he returned to the temple to find his friends gathered on the temple porch. Genkai sat on the edge of the porch with a cup of tea; Yukina, Kurama, and Hiei were all missing. Koenma in his adult form had made an appearance and was bickering with Yusuke and Kuwabara over the rules of Old Maid. Botan was in on the game, as well, but she simply smiled and laughed at the antics of the other players. The four sat gathered close around a low table like old friends.

"Hello, Jin," Koenma said, tossing down his cards and coming to greet the wind apparition. "I heard from Genkai—good job with Miranda."

Jin, still smarting over the king's negligence of Miranda's case, didn't grin or smile. He simply shrugged and walked past the king to flop down between Yusuke and Botan.

"What are you covered in?" Botan asked, nose wrinkling.

Jin looked down at himself and grimaced at the tree sap that soaked his clothes, skin, and hair. It had dried on him, and now that he became aware of it he realized that it itched abominably.

"Oi, I need a bath!" he said, laughing at Botan's stricken expression.

"Well, you know where the bath is, Botan," Genkai said, looking over her shoulder at the shinigami. "Show him, and get him some decent clothes."

Jin looked down (again) but this time he looked at his outfit. What was wrong with his day-to-day uniform? The white pants were comfortable and the two strips of cloth that formed an 'x' over his chest helped to hold them up. Still, he did not complain when Botan led him inside and found him a button-up-the-front white shirt and a pair of pants with a lot of pockets sewn on them.

"Thanks," he said. "This sap is gonna be hard to get out, that it will."

"I'll get it clean, don't you worry," she told him cheerfully, blue ponytail bouncing as she handed him the clothes. "They should fit you pretty well. Have a good bath!"

She left him outside the door to the bath, and Jin went inside while whistling a happy tune. The bathroom had been built in the style of a traditional Japanese bath house, with a large bath and many small showering areas lined up along the wall, and was tiled in austere while. Jin worked with rough soap and hot water to get all the grime off of his skin, then slipped into the bathing pool to relax.

He did not have a lot of time to do that, however. He had been sitting in the water for a scant five minutes when he realized he was not alone. When he heard the telltale signs of a visitor mucking about with the showers, he crouched low into the water and peered out over the top of the bath like a curious child not wanting to be found out.

Not that he could see much through the copious amounts of steam, or anything. All he could make out was a small figure dousing itself with water and soap before pulling on a large garment—it looked like a dress, but he couldn't be sure through all the fog. They then washed off their face in a sink before leaving through the bathroom's only door. Jin couldn't help but notice that they left at a run, and he didn't like the implications of that or of the figure's nervous movements.

Slipping out of the bath, he toweled himself dry and slipped into the army-green pants Botan had given him. They were a little big and baggy, but they fit him well enough for the time being. Humming as he ran the towel over his mane of hair, he reached for his shirt and stopped short when he realized that it was not there.

"Where the heck's m' shirt?" Jin said aloud. He threw the towel into a basket filled with used towels and jammed his hands in his pockets. "Guess Botan'll just have t' get me a new one, that she will." He walked out of the steam-filled bathroom, wondering who had stolen his clothing, and ran smack into Yukina.

"Oh, Mr. Jin!" she said, covering her face with her hands. "Why are you undressed?"

"Um…" Self-consciously, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Somebody stole m' shirt. Do y'have another one, maybe?"

"No, I don't." She peeped at him from between her fingers and shook her head. "But this isn't the time for that! I left Miranda alone for only a moment to get a cloth to wash her with because she needed a bath, but when I came back she was gone!"

Jin looked down at her for a moment, cupping his chin in one hand in the classic 'Hold on, I'm thinking' posture. Then he snapped his fingers and happily declared: "Hold the phone, I saw her! She came into the bath and stole m' shirt!"

Yukina stared at him, hands dropping to her sides as all of her shyness left her.

"And you did nothing to stop her?" she asked, red eyes radiating perplexity.

Jin's grin changed from triumphant to embarrassed in a second, and he gingerly rubbed at the back of his neck before replying: "Well, when you put it like tha'…"

Botan had the fortune of happening upon them at that point, and her reaction ran a similar gamut as Yukina's.

"Sorry! I didn't know you weren't dressed!" she shrieked, covering her face with her hands (although she did not forget to peer at the half-dressed wind apparition between gaping fingers, and Jin felt his face turn as scarlet as his hair).

"Miranda is missing!" Yukina said, running toward Botan and taking the shinigami's hand into her own. "I only left her for a second, but when I returned she had disappeared!"

"What!?" Botan yelled, ponytail almost standing on end. She very promptly grabbed Yukina and hauled the small woman down the hall at warp speed. "We have to tell the others! Koenma is going to kill meeeee—!" Jin followed them, using a bit of energy to float down the hall.

The trio burst onto the porch to the sound of Botan screaming: "Koenma sir! Miranda's flown the coop!"

The prince dropped the cards he had been dealt; they fell in a graceful arc to the tabletop, and Yusuke gleefully peered at them with the intent of cheating. After taking a moment to bop Yusuke on the head, he turned a furious eye on Jin.

"I thought you said she would be out for days!" he said in a desert-dry voice, trying his best not to scream in frustration. A vein buldged in his forehead.

Jin crossed his arms over his bare chest and sighed dramatically.

"Noooo—I said that she _might _wake up in a few days, but _then _I told ya that everybody's different, now didn't I?" Jin said. "Although for her t' be up this early probably isn't a good thing. She needs 'er rest."

Genkai, who had neither moved nor spoken after Botan's revelation, stiffened over her mug of tea and stared, wide-eyed, into the distance.

"Hiei just contacted me," she said, looking annoyed. "Damn telepathy."

"Well, what did he say?" Koenma yelled, bolting to his feet and flexing his fingers as if he wanted nothing less simple than to strangle Genkai right then and there.

"That he's following the girl at a safe distance. Apparently he tried to talk to her and she threatened to kill him. He wants someone else to approach her."

The party went silent, and then as one every person turned to look at Jin.

"Hey, hey, wait a second!" he said, holding his hands up in front of him as if to ward them off. "Why ya pickin' on me all of a sudden?"

"Well, you're the obvious choice!" Botan said, pointing a finger at Jin's nose. The wind apparition froze, eyes going wide and crossing in on themselves as he stared at the in-your-face Botan. "She's already met all of us and probably would get scared silly if we started chasing after her again, and besides, you know how to counteract her powers if she somehow figures out how to use them against us! Not to mention the fact you didn't tell us we needed to guard her, which makes_ you_ responsible for this whole mess in the first place!"

"You tell 'im, Botan," Yusuke said cheekily, and Jin stuck his tongue out at the Spirit Detective.

"Alright, alright, I get it," he said, backing up a pace and ignoring the fact Yusuke had flipped him off in response. "I'll go get 'er, sheesh…" He made to walk off the porch, then, grumbling incoherently, but stopped halfway across the yard and shot his friends a sheepish look over his shoulder.

"Um… so, Hiei didn't mention where I could find 'er, did he now?"

Genkai sighed (while everyone else practically died) and said: "Hold on a minute and I'll ask him. Meanwhile, why don't you try putting some clothes on?"

"That's right!" Botan exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Where did your shirt go?"

"Miranda stole it."

He was met with raised eyebrows and incredulous expressions.

"She came into th' bathroom while I was in there n' took it like a little thief, she did," Jin explained. "I didn't know it was her, though, or else I would have done something."

"… you're an idiot," Koenma said, looking intently at his recovered hand of cards, and Jin blushed from the roots of his hair to his toe tips as Botan bounded past him into the house. Yukina followed her at a more leisurely pace, kimono sleeves breezing in her wake.

"You don't have ta put it like that…" Jin said, and a few moments of awkwardness followed until Botan showed up with an armful of clothing.

"That's a sweatshirt," she told Jin as he pulled the black garment over his head. It was large, but not too large, and it felt warm against the cool night air. "And here are some sandals—you don't want to go barefoot."

"Well, ready to go," Jin said happily, but Botan pushed a hand against his chest to stop him.

"Slow down, mister," she said. "I brought you this, too."

What she handed him made Jin pause and frown—she held in her hands a black stocking cap that, when he put it on, covered his ears and the small horn on his head entirely. He did not feel like himself with it on—it felt like he was hiding something dirty and foul, even though he wasn't. Not having the cool breeze play through his hair felt stranger than everything else, though.

"I know it seems odd," Botan said, seeing Jin's confused expression, "but… well…"

"I'll explain," Koenma said, rising from the table once again to stand next to his shinigami employee. "Miranda didn't like the thought of demons too much. She backlashed her powers when we told her about their existence, so suffice to say she's more than a little bit freaked out by the whole situation. If you were to show up with those ears and that horn, I doubt she'd be willing to get within ten feet of you, let alone come back to the temple with you."

Jin's frown deepened.

"Sounds like a stupid prejudice t' me," he said, tugging at the cap disconsolantly.

"Me too," Yusuke pitched in. "I mean, I took the news that there were such things as demons pretty well. It's nothing to go ballistic over."

"That's 'cause you were too stupid to even care," Kuwabara muttered, and a scuffle broke out between the pair.

"Jin."

Jin turned to Genkai, and she pinned him down with an incredible glare.

"You are not to fly in front of her, is that understood?" she asked, but the way she said it made it sound more like a command than an inquiry. "You are not to do anything a normal human would not do. You are not to remove that hat. Damaging her already fragile conceptions of this world would only hurt her."

Jin regarded the aging human solemnly for a few moments, the sound of Yusuke and Kuwabara's fighting fading into the background. But then he recovered his wits and pulled his eyes away from Genkai, unnerved by her stare.

"I won't be doin' any such thing," he laughed, covering his uncomfortable feelings with cheerfulness. "I'll show her I'm a nice guy all on my own, demon or no demon, and she'll come around on her own time, that she will. It'll work in a jiffy."

She looked away, smirking, and said: "Good. Hiei's going to up his energy level so you should be able to track him down. Good luck."

"Bring her back, Jin," said Koenma.

"Sure, sure," Jin said, waving his hand dismissively. "Be back in a hurry, that I will." He hopped into the air, then plummeted like a stone when Genkai barked: "What did I say, you idiot?"

"Sorry, sorry, won't happen again, mark my words!" he yelled back, and then he sprinted off the porch and toward Hiei's pulsing energy signature.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I apologize if you found this slow, but I had to include it for the story to make sense. Miranda interacts with a demon next chapter—though not necessarily Jin. Oh, who could it be?

Thanks, once again, for the wonderful reviews.

I tweaked the summary a bit, so tell me what you think. Thanks!

GRAVITY © VIR M.

YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI


	11. Chapter 11: Flight Type A

Gravity

By Vir M.

Chapter 11:

"Flight (Type A)"

* * *

I woke up in a dark room, every muscle aching, but the pressure that had been building inside me for so long had disappeared. Only a light whisper of golden hate echoed through my body, and with very little effort on my part I could ignore the power's siren call. The absence of pain felt ambrosial, and I tried to drift back off to sleep once again.

A cool hand on my forehead startled me into wakefulness. I tried my hardest not to flinch as they took my pulse and felt my temperature. After a few moments, they spoke to me.

"I hope you will be alright," she said in a voice of softness and velvet. "I am going to go get some water and a cloth to wash your face with." I felt her smooth the hair from my forehead in a way I could only interpret as loving. "Please wake up soon, Miss Miranda. I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope you know I'm wishing the best for you."

_What a weird thing for a kidnapper to say,_ I thought.

She left me, then, and when I heard a door shut behind her and the sound of footsteps fading down a hallway, I opened my eyes and threw off the quilt covering me. My kidnappers had stored me in a small bedroom with a single window, a bed, a nightstand, and a rocking chair that still moved slightly from when my caretaker had moved away from it. A watercolor painting hung on the wall across from the bed, adding a spot of color to the otherwise drab space. After taking a good look around, I swung my legs out of bed and stood up, only to wobble limbs of jelly for a few moments before having to sit down again. The weakness annoyed me; I liked being in shape.

Why _was_ I so weak, anyway?

I remembered... very little. Those Tweedle-Dum idiots had cornered me at school, Hiei had flashed me with that weird eye of his, that Koenma guy had explained to me that there were demons (I shuddered at the thought; my conception of reality had been torn to rags) and then Hiei had attacked me (again) on the porch. But what came after that? Golden light and pain, and then darkness... But there was something else there, too: something beautiful and strange and warm and comforting...

Straining for the memory I knew lurked just beyond my waking consciousness, I kneaded my temples with my knuckles and thought—hard!—about my experience. Nothing came as I contemplated the golden light of my power, so I started mulling over the cool, soothing darkness, and—

I dropped my hands to my sides.

_There, now,_ the voice in the darkness had whispered. _Jus' rest._ _Yer gonna be alright._

_What a wonderful voice!_ I thought. It wasn't the voice's beauty that snared me—it wasn't striking or musical or anything like that—it was the fact that the voice radiated reassurance and warmth, caring and compassion, like they were speaking only for me and no one else in the entire world… or, _worlds_, if you wanted to get technical. If tried to recall how the voice particularly sounded, I drew a blank. The only thing that remained with me was the voice's loving tone and emotional resonance, a vibration I felt I could recognize after hearing just one more syllable. I longed to hear the voice again—craved to hear it again.

But as much as I wanted to hear it, I wanted to get away from this place more. And besides, it wasn't like I was going to find the owner of that brilliant voice by sitting in that small, dark room, anyway, right?

I tried standing again, and this time my legs supported me. However, when I looked down at my feet to make sure they weren't going to trip over a badly placed rug, I realized that someone had changed my clothes. My face burned as I wondered who had done it—surely a girl, right? I mean, I wasn't wearing all that much—a white t-shirt soaked in sweat and a pair of men's athletic shorts. Sniffing my arm experimentally, I made a face at the odor I discovered wafting up from my skin.

First thing's first, I needed a bath. They'd be able to smell me if I escaped.

I went to the door and pressed my ear against it, listening for my caretaker's approach. All was silent, however, so I opened the door and stuck my head out into a long, dark, wood-paneled hallway. No one was there, so I slipped out of the room and shut the door behind me. There were more doors in the corridor; I went to the one directly across from my room and pressed my ear against it. Nothing. I looked inside to find another bedroom like mine, but it was more lived-in-looking. The bed had been slept in by a rowdy sleeper, for one thing, and there was a small brown box on the bedside table. A wrapped package that appeared to be a little longer than a baseball bat sat propped against the bed's headboard, and the closet door was slightly ajar. Other than those small details, though, it was a Spartan set-up.

I left that room alone and chose the door on its left. _Bingo!_ I thought when I heard the sound of running water. _Bathroom!_ I opened the door wide enough to admit my head inside just in time to see the outline of a body slip into the large bathing pool at the far side of the room.

_Holy crap,_ I thought, jerking my head back out so fast I thought I gave myself whiplash. _Holy crap! What if they saw me!?_

Sticking my head back inside an inch at a time, I realized that the fog was so thick it was almost impossible to see the person sitting in the bath. I could only just make out three large faucets set into the back wall pouring continuous streams of hot water into the pool and the person's shock of flaming red hair, but odds are that if I was quiet I would go unnoticed.

_So, Kurama,_ I thought as I crept inside and over to the showers, _we meet again. Stupid red-headed demon. Taking a bath in the middle of the day, are we? I hate you, girly-man. You probably smell better than I do._

I stripped next to the showers as quietly as I could, then picked up the showerhead connected to a long metal hose and turned it on. Hot water gushed out, but the sound of it was so loud I almost screamed. So much for secrecy. I shot Kurama a glance, and for a second my heart leapt into my throat because it seemed as if he had vanished. But then I noticed that a mound of wild red hair protruded over the top of the bath; he was peering over it and into the fog like a little kid spying on the neighbors, and I almost laughed at him right then and there. But I kept my head down and washed up as quickly as I could, snagging a towel off of a shelf above the shower where a dozen or so towels were kept.

_Shit,_ I thought as I dried off, _what do I do about clothes? Mine are too gross to put back on._

It was at precisely that moment I saw Kurama's change of clothes lying by one of the other showers. My face split into an evil grin. I snagged his shirt and pulled it on like a dress. It came down to my knees.

"Eat that, girly-man," I whispered, shooting him one last look as I left the bathroom.

I went back to the room I started in to look for my old clothes. They turned out to be in a basket beneath the bed, but the shirt and bra were nothing but tatters so I could not use them. I wondered, as I looked at them, how they had become so torn. I had no memory of it.

My uniform skirt's waistband had been shredded. It fell to my ankles after I put it on, so I decided to only wear the huge shirt. My underwear, socks, and shoes had survived, however, so I put on all of them.

_Now for escape_, I thought as I appraised the room's small window. It opened easily enough, although it was so small I had trouble fitting my hips through, and the drop to the flowerbed below was well over five feet. Still, I somehow make it unscathed, and as I used the natural friction of my moist palms to brace against the window pane and shut it from the outside, the door to the bedroom opened. I dropped to my knees, catching a hasty flash of blue and green as the person entered, and concentrated on staying quiet. The sound of a ceramic bowl breaking on the floor let me know that my flight had been discovered, so I did not waste any time in running away from the temple in a low crouch, kicking up well-tended flowerbeds as I went.

A forest bordered the clearing the temple had been built in, so I followed the edge of the woods at a run until I found myself at the top of a massive staircase. Red Shinto arches overhung the path every fifty feet or so, seemingly guiding me to a new better place, and with elation I started down the steps at a run.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

My heart leapt into my throat as I thought:_ That voice! I know it!_ I wheeled around at the sound of the familiar accent—but then I realized that it wasn't the voice I wanted. I wanted the voice that had echoed in the dark, not Hiei's scratchy tones. He stood about ten feet behind me on the top step, hands shoved in the pockets of his black pants. He had shed the cloak for a black muscle shirt and three white belts he wore high on his hips, but his scowl and wild hair remained the same, as did his burning red eyes. I noticed, for the first time, that he was handsome, in his own way, but the fact that I knew he was a demon and the vivid memory of his hidden third eye dampened the effect somewhat.

I said nothing, only stared at him boldly for a moment before turning around and taking off at a run down the stairs. Hiei appeared before me just in time for me to smack straight into his chest. He caught my wrists in his hands and pulled me toward him; I tripped and fell against his chest, then struggled.

"Let me go, you creep!" I screamed, pushing against him as I took in the reality of his incredible speed. How was I supposed to outrun someone so damn _fast_? "Let me go right _now_! I swear to God, I _WILL_ KILL YOU!"

"You honestly think you're a match for me?" he asked in his harsh voice, but something in his voice spoke of weary patience. "You can't survive by yourself. You'll be safe here."

I kicked him in the shin. He let go of me, more surprised than pained, and I darted around him down the stairs. I felt arms encircle my waist from behind, pulling me backward as my feet flew out from under me, but I wrenched myself free and away from his clinging grasp.

But I had not regained my feet. I began to fall down the stairs.

Hiei caught me, of course, zooming around to a stair below mine and wrapping one arm around my waist and slipping the other around my thighs so that his shoulder pressed into my stomach and supported my weight. I stared down at him in amazement as he lowered me to the ground, but he did not release me—he transferred his grip to my shoulders and met my gaze with unfathomable crimson eyes.

My head was a blur as I looked at him. I wanted so badly to get away I could hardly bear it, but he was keeping me here—he was trying, despite what I wanted, to keep me here. He told me I would be safe here. He put up with my struggling and treated me gently.

What was going on? Was this how kidnappers were supposed to act?

"You will be safe here," he said in a quiet voice, a voice that radiated promise almost the same way as the voice in the darkness had. Almost, but not quite. Hiei's was not so selfless. "No one is going to hurt you, you stupid girl."

I said the only thing I could, the thing my mind was playing on repeat in a blind loop of fear and confusion. I said: "Please let me go. Please. Please, let me go!"

And so he did. He dropped his hands to his sides, holding my eyes with his own, and said: "You have nothing to fear, Miranda."

But I was already running at that point, and I barely heard the way he said my name.

* * *

NOTE

Next chapter, there is a twist. One I doubt anyone will see coming. I certainly didn't. Writing it was a surprise even to me.

Tiny, tiny bit disappointed at getting only one review for 100 hits on the last chapter, but it was a good review and thank you CRdragonPyro for leaving it.

So I have decided on the romantic relationships situation for this story—thank God. They will not be as cut-and-dry as the other fics—the ending may even be a bit _Graduate_-esque in that even the characters who get together might not feel 100% about it. So, be prepared for blood and tears.

YU YU HAKUSHO © YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI

GRAVITY © VIR M.


	12. Chapter 12: Found

Gravity

By Vir M.

Chapter 12:

"Found"

* * *

And so I ran. Hiei did not stop me.

The stairs seemed to take a lifetime. Eventually they terminated into a well-worn woodland path, a path which I ran along for many minutes until it opened up onto a highway that wound its way along a clifftop overlooking a lush valley. I could see the glow of the lights of a small settlement at the valley's far green edge, but no cars roared by and no people were about. I felt isolated; exposed.

Across the blacktop, handily enough, was a bus stop and—much to my disbelief—an open-air payphone kiosk bathed in the light of a single lonely streetlamp.

To say that I ran across the road would be an understatement: I flew. I snatched up the phone and held it to my ear, praying to hear a dial tone despite being one hundred miles from nowhere. I nearly collapsed when I heard the monotonous ring of my salvation, but my hopes faded when I realized I had no money to activate the phone. But God (or was it Koenma?) was on my side, because by pressing the coin return button I was provided with enough change to place a call to Jackie's cell phone. She answered on the first ring, sounding calm despite not hearing from me for days (not that I knew exactly how many had elapsed since my kidnapping, however) and I felt tears well when I heard her say in her typically bored voice: "Who is this?"

"It's me," I said, voice cracking. "Oh my God, Jackie, please help me."

"Miranda?" she asked, but to my horror she did not sound alarmed.

"What day is it?" I asked, feeling numb, feeling as if I was watching myself from outside of my own body. Something about this was not right.

"Tuesday." That made it four days since being kidnapped.

"Aren't you wondering where I've been for four days?" I asked, feeling hysterics rise in my gut. I couldn't control it; I started to babble. "Haven't you wondered where I've been, why I haven't called you, why I didn't show up to_ school_ for two days?"

She said nothing. My world stood still.

"Jackie?" I asked, nearing hysterics. "Oh God, Jackie. Don't leave me in the cold!"

"I can't help you, Miranda," Jackie said.

I froze, my mouth gaping open in shock. What had she just said to me?

"You need to trust them," Jackie continued. "I know you're scared and that this is all new to you, but you need to trust them and just go with it."

"W-what are you saying?" I stuttered, voice oddly quiet. "You know about them? You knew that they were coming for me?"

Silence for a moment, and then: "No, I didn't know they would be coming for you on Friday."

But she wasn't saying everything. I caught it.

"But you knew they would be coming," I clarified.

A long, terrible, thunderous pause.

"Yes," said my best friend, the girl who knew me better than anyone. "I knew. Just not that it would be on Friday."

My grip on the phone tightened as I held onto it like a liferaft in a squall. My knees shook and I fell to the dusty ground, stretching the metal cord of the phone to its breaking point.

"Who are you, Jackie, really?" I whispered to the girl I did not know at all. "You can't be my friend, not my Jackie."

"I'm sorry, Mir," she said, and I had the satisfaction of hearing her voice break. "I am so sorry for this."

"Then help me!" I sobbed, tears finally pouring from my eyes. "Help me for fuck's sake!"

I heard a voice in the background.

"I have to go," Jackie said. "I'm so sorry, Mir, but I have to go, and—"

"Don't leave me!" I wailed. "Please! Help me!"

"I can't help you now," she said, and the bottom fell out of my stomach, "but you are with people who _can_."

"Jackie!"

"Trust Genkai," she said. "Trust her, she won't steer you wrong. I love you, Mir—don't you ever forget that!"

"I love you too, Jackie," I said, crying harder than I ever had before as I heard the hollow sound of a dial tone.

* * *

Hiei's energy shone like a beacon. Jin did not have any trouble following it down the hundreds of steps leading away from Genkai's temple, and even though the dark of the night made seeing difficult, the stairs were even and he made a fairly good pace toward the fire demon.

Hiei stood in the shadows of the Shinto arch that marked the place where the well-trod forest path met the human highway. Crimson eyes stayed unwaveringly fixed on something in the distance, and when Jin moved to the fire apparition's side he strained to see what Hiei was so intent upon.

Miranda, clad only in Jin's shirt and a pair of tennis shoes, sat on the grassy median between the highway and a sheer cliff drop, knees tucked up underneath her chin. Thin arms circled those knees, and by the hunch of her shoulders and the way she hung her head Jin could tell exactly how she felt: dejected, alone, and scared.

"How long she been sittin' there, eh?" he asked Hiei in a low voice.

The fire apparition did not look at him when he said: "For a few minutes now. She called someone named Jackie who apparently knew we were moving in to take Miranda away. She feels betrayed and hasn't moved from that spot since."

Jin itched at his stocking cap for a moment, thinking hard. Hiei certainly had a handle on the situation.

"D'ya think she'll run if I get close?" he asked.

Hiei shook his head.

"She has nowhere to run to, you fool." Despite the insult, however, Jin did not feel animosity in Hiei's tone—rather, all he perceived was a pervasive tiredness and—could it be?—sadness.

"Oi, if I didn't know any better, Hiei, I'd say ya might be goin' a lil soft for 'er," Jin said playfully, poking Hiei in the shoulder with a mischievous finger. Hiei was less than amused, however, and he rounded on Jin with a snarl.

"Don't touch me, you oaf!" he growled. "Just do as you're told and bring her back to the temple like the good little tool you are." Venom boiled in his ruby eyes, and Jin backed up a step.

"Just 'cause _you _scared 'er off n' they sent me to do what you couldn't do doesn't mean ya hafta pick a fight with me!" Jin said back, but he said it with a smile that sapped the bite out of his words. Still, Hiei took the hint and walked back up the temple stairs with his hands jammed deep in his pockets, shoulders hunched.

"Just don't mess this up," Hiei said, and paused on the staircase. "She needs to stay here. If you drive her away, I'll kill you." At the last phrase, he tilted his head back and looked over his shoulder at the barest angle he could manage. His eyes fixed on Jin, glittering black in the moonlight, and Jin had to work hard to suppress a shudder of the animalistic fear Hiei inspired. "Don't forget that."

Jin waited until the fire apparition was out of earshot before muttering: "Like I said, have ya gone soft?"

* * *

He walked boldly across the highway, his shoes smacking against the asphalt in a cacophony of noise that made Jin wince. He whistled a little while he walked, trying to sound as innocent as possible as he approached Miranda from behind and stood awkwardly at her side.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked with forced cheer. Miranda stiffened when he spoke. When she did not respond, he merrily sat down next to her and leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out in front of him.

"It's a good night," he said, inhaling the sweet scent of the air. "A great night, even. Dontcha think so, hmm?"

Miranda did not respond, so Jin leaned down to the level where her forehead lay pillowed on her knees and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Come on now, girly, this ain't the time for mopin' 'round like a mourner," he said. "Nobody should waste a fine night such as this one on weepin', no ma'am."

"Did Koenma send you?" she asked, and the blunt question surprised Jin into silence. Her voice possessed a scratchy quality—probably from the crying she had done—but it was nonetheless a sweet voice, high pitched and delicate. Jin recovered quickly enough, however, and told her:

"Yep, he did. But I ain't gonna take ya back til ya wanna go of yer own free will, that I am."

She sighed a long, slow sigh that sounded very much like a sob.

"It's not like I even have a choice," she said.

"Now, now," said Jin. "That ain't true at all! You can either sit 'ere all night, mopin' around, or come back with me n' have a grand ol' time meetin' and greetin' all the nice folks up at the temple." He leaned down toward her, hands cupped around his mouth conspiratorially. "But I gotta say, though: if ya don't come back with me they might send that Hiei bloke along to do th' job, and he ain't very nice, now is 'e? I'd much rather deal with lil' ol' me 'cause I'm a nice guy, no doubt about that!"

The tension in her shoulders had, at that point, lessened somewhat, and with the barest motion of her head she peeked out at Jin over the top of her gangly knees.

"See, I'm not so scary," he joked. "Not me. Now why don't ya get up, take a deep breath, and come along with me 'n—"

He stopped talking, then, because he had caught his first glimpse of Miranda's hazel eyes.

An amber base topped by flecks of green and palest blue. A ring of blue—the color of a velvety night sky—around the edge. They seemed swimmable, almost, as if he could dive into them and stay there for a long, long time, but they burned with suspicious fire and heart-tearing sadness. Jin, at that point, wanted nothing but to hug her. Those red-rimmed, crying eyes begged him to hold their owner. No wonder even the heart-of-ice Hiei had melted, if only a little bit.

"Oh, look at ya," Jin murmured. "If I be sayin' I'm sorry, would it help ya feel any better?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, lifted her chin onto her kneecaps, and forced out a smile directed at the valley below.

"I really look that bad, huh?" she asked, sniffing as she scrubbed away the last of her tears with her shirtsleeve. "Gotta say, you sure know how to make a girl feel pretty."

Jin studied her profile for a moment. She looked out over the valley below with almond-shaped eyes set above a snub nose and angular cheek bones. Her pointed chin and pixie haircut made her seem as if she had fallen out a child's storybook. Jin couldn't decide if her wide-eyed face, coupled with her tiny body, made her endearing or way too childlike for comfort. When she had been lying down her childishness had not been so apparent.

"Cat got your tongue?" she asked, shooting him a sideways glance that was anything but childish.

"Ah, no," said Jin. "Just lookin' at ya. You'd be a passin' pretty one if maybe ya'd stop with th' cryin', me thinks."

She blushed at that, turning to look at him with embarrassment—and maybe a hint of pleasure—revolving in her whirlpool eyes.

"You're one of Koenma's," she said, scowling at him. "I don't want to like you, so stop being so nice to me, okay?"

He wagged a finger at her and grinned his most friendly grin. If the damnable cap hadn't been covering them, his ears would have twitched with glee.

"Ah, but there's the slice, maybe I be_ wantin'_ ya to like me, hm?" His blue eyes glittered at her, and he could tell he was getting close to gaining her trust. "We're not a scary bunch, me and m' friends. We just wanna help ya, that's all. Stick with me, at any rate, and ya should be fine."

Miranda's face contorted into an expression of agony.

"Do you know… anybody named Genkai?" she asked.

"'Course I do," said Jin. Why had she asked that? "She's the owner of the temple. Everybody knows Genkai."

"Can you take me to her?"

"In a jiffy if ya want," Jin said, bolting to his feet with a happy grin and a laugh. "Right now?"

She looked up at him, and to his horror her eyes welled with new tears.

"Now don't be doin' that!" Jin said, dropping to his knees as she put her face in her hands and sobbed. "C'mon, now, it's no good ta cry!" But when she showed no sign of stopping, he settled down next to her and let her ride out this newest wave of emotion. She pulled her knees to her chest and encircled them with her arms, crying into her limbs as if they could soak up the scent of her tears.

When she quieted, he dared to reach out a hand and lightly brush her elbow with his fingertips. She pulled away, but he persisted and gave her arm a light squeeze. When she did not recoil, he ruffled her hair affectionately and smiled down at her.

"There, now," he said, letting a softness he hadn't known he felt leak into his voice, "ain't that better?"

She very abruptly raised her head and looked at him with eyes so intense that_ he_ recoiled and withdrew his hand from her hair. But she reached out of her own free will and caught his hand before he could get it away from her, gripping his long fingers tightly with her tiny ones, tiny one that had been chilled by the night's darkness and cool breezes and her own fears.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Jin," said Jin, trying not to move for fear of scaring her away.

"I've met you before," she said, eyes burning, but then her certainty dwindled. "I have, haven't I?" she asked.

"I can't say we have," said Jin.

"I wasn't awake. But we met, didn't we?"

Jin didn't know how she could possibly know that it was he who had saved her life, and he had even less of a clue of what to say to her about it, so he opted for saying nothing at all. His eyes told Miranda all she needed to know despite his silence.

"I knew it," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "I knew it was you the minute I heard your voice. You're the one who made the light go away." As suddenly as she had grabbed it, she dropped his hand and stood up. "Jackie told me I could trust Genkai, and something in my gut tells me I can trust you, too, Jin." She took a deep breath and hugged her stolen shirt more tightly around her body. "And I don't ignore my gut. So, take me to Genkai. I need to meet her."

Miranda had lost every ounce of her previous childishness. Entirely a woman on a mission, her calculating eyes all but dared Jin to say no to her; dared him to deny her her request. Lost in her whirlpool gaze, Jin stood up next to her and gazed down at his defiant future student, feeling excitement and happiness bead within his breast. Where once had stood a frail and meek child now stood an adult of pride and assertiveness; what would she be like after gaining her powers in full?

Jin, personally, could not wait to find out.

"That's the spirit, girly," he said, grinning like a loon as he made for the stairs at a jog. "C'mon, Miranda, or I'll leave you behind, that I will!"

She followed him at a run, and Jin couldn't help but think: _I just might be havin' some fun, after all!_

* * *

AUTHOR NOTE

So, did any of you see Jackie's role in this coming? Let me know if you did.

Between my recent purchases of two Yu Yu Hakusho artbooks (limited edition and straight from Japan; bless you, eBay) and re-watching the entire series, I am full up on inspiration. Lots of updates in store.

Review!


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